Objectives in Studying this Chapter:
1) To examine the last three of seven letters to the churches in Asia, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.
2) To glean what we can about the condition of each church: their strengths and weaknesses, the warnings and promises given.
LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN SARDIS (verses 1-6)
We are going to look at what the Lord has to say to the church in Sardis. My Testament has a heading over this portion which says, “The Dead church.” Let’s begin reading chapter 3, verse 1: “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He Who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
[Verse 2]“ ‘ “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.
[Verse 3]“ ‘ “Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
[Verse 4]“ ‘ “You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
[Verse 5]“ ‘ “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” ’
[Verse 6]“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Introduction to the City of Sardis
Here is a church in the City of Sardis who gets a letter as part of this overall epistle, but there is very little here to commend this church. One archeologist and historian of this region, Sir William Ramsey, points out that Sardis itself was something of a city of degeneration. It was once a very proud and a very thriving city. It was the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Lydia, and it was feared by those neighbors surrounding it because of its military might.
The name of this city, “Sardis,” is a plural noun. Sardis is a combination of two towns—one that was in the valley, and one that was on the plateau. Its wealth and prosperity had been legendary because of its greatest king, King Croesus. One writer made the point that there was a phrase that was coined about King Croesus, that you would refer to someone as “being as rich as King Croesus [in our day, we would say of a fabulously wealthy person, “He’s as rich as Croesus.”].” There was a river named Pactolus, which ran through the edge of the City of Sardis and was a source of gold. So little wonder that the city prospered, and little wonder that their King had a phrase that was coined about himself. If someone says, “He’s as rich as Croesus,” that refers to the King of Sardis. Indeed, he was a multi-millionaire! In fact, he was so wealthy that he was the model for the legend of King Midas. Thus, the phrase was born, “Midas, with the touch of gold,” or “The Midas Touch.”
King Croesus, even though he was rich, eventually came under the control of the Persians. The Persians conquered the kingdom, and it later became a part of the Roman Empire. The City of Sardis was devastated by an earthquake in AD 17, but because of the generosity of the Roman Emperor Tiberius, it was rebuilt. Yet, they say, it never achieved its former glory and importance under the Romans.
As I was studying for this lesson, I read the statement that “sometimes a church becomes like the community that it is a part of.” As I was pondering this statement, I was trying to think of some ways that we are like the community that we are a part of. I think there are many ways, because we are citizens of this community, of this state, of this nation, and so on. Our congregations reflect some of those things and some of these values. But I pray that our spiritual values reflect that we are citizens of the kingdom of God. But the point about this statement in regard to Sardis is that the church was dead. Remember, this community was referred to as not ever achieving its former glory, and that they were a community of degeneration. Well, here’s the church in that community which is referred to as “dead”. Even though it had the name of being “alive,” it was, in fact, “dead” [verse 1].
The Lord’s Self-Designation (verse 1a)
In addressing this church, Christ refers to Himself as “He Who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars.” We talked about this in our Introductory Lessons. We talked about the interpretation of the Lord having the seven stars in His hands. We talked about the fact that the understanding of this, we feel, is the spiritual nature of the congregation. So in this regard, the Lord is saying that He knows them, that He understands them, and that He has them and their spiritual nature in the palm of His hand. There isn’t anything that the Lord does not know about them.
Condemnation and Warning (verses 1b-3)
This church in Sardis is, perhaps, not quite dead yet, even though I mentioned that the heading in my Testament says “The Dead Church”; but it is certainly a church that is about to die. It may be on “life support.” We’ve seen in some of the other congregations that they had been influenced by the world, by the things that they were exposed to in their communities, and so on, like the courtship of the world that we saw in Pergamum, and the seduction of the world that we saw in Thyatira [Revelation, chapter 2]. But Sardis has become virtually “dead” spiritually. It would seem that it is not even interested enough to trouble itself about false teaching, or to be entangled in any kind of a spiritual struggle against anything that would be going on in the city. It had little or no opposition to evil. Why? Well, we don’t know exactly, but could it have been because they didn’t oppose anything, so no one opposed them. Where a person stands for Truth and right, where a church stands for Truth and right, there is bound to be opposition to it. So, perhaps this church in Sardis didn’t stand for anything.
The Lords gives this church a charge in verse 2 to “be watchful,” and then gives them a warning in verse 3. He tells them in verse 2 that you need to “be watchful”—you need to be looking. You need to be “on guard,” so to speak. He warns them that “if you will not watch,” then “I will come upon you as a thief.”
Sardis was a well-fortified city that sat high upon a hill. Its walls, or the bulk of its natural fortification, were the rocks and the natural impediments that kept someone from getting to the top of the hill. They were under siege in about 546 BC by Cyrus, the King of Persia. Cyrus had set up the Persian army around the base of the hill, but they could not take the City of Sardis. After this siege had been going on for about three months, Persian soldiers were watching the hill late one night. One of the Persian soldiers observed a citizen, or perhaps he was a soldier, of the City of Sardis make his way down a narrow passageway or a narrow path from the city down to near the bottom of the hill. The Persians realized, then, that there was a secret passageway—a secret way to get up to the city. At 3:00 a.m. that same morning, Cyrus took his forces up that secret passageway. The Sardinians were so confident that they could not be taken that they had not even posted a guard. When they woke up the next morning, the Persian army was in the city and had them surrounded.
Do you suppose that is what the Lord had in mind when He warned them to “be watchful,”—to keep watch, and if they did “not watch,” He would “come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you”? I imagine that those members of this church who knew their history—the history of that city—may have thought of this as well. You would think that one time should be enough, but in 214 BC, the City of Sardis was taken by Antiochus the Great in a very similar fashion. They once again let their guard down—they were not watching! So here are two incidents in their history that, I believe, the Lord would have had in mind, and members of that church would have, perhaps, thought about as they had this letter read to them.
Commendation (verse 4)
The condemnation of this church is severe, yet we notice that even though the condemnation is severe, there remain some names, some named individuals, some members of that congregation, who have not gone this way and who themselves are still alive. They have not “defiled their garments,” and “they are worthy” to walk with the Lord “in white.” [“You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.”] I think that is an interesting point for us to consider. Even though a church or congregation may be having its problems and may even be experiencing some apostasy, there may be within that body some who are not a part of that, who are worthy to walk with the Lord in white. If you need a proof text for that, I think this verse is the proof text. The Lord says that, even with this severe condemnation, there are still some faithful children of God here in Sardis who He counts among His own.
The Lord appeals to the church to, if you will, “wake up,” and to “strengthen” what remains. You are about “to die,” but there is still something left. There is still something that you can do to animate yourself and get back to where you were.
Promise and Exhortation (verses 5-6)
In this section, the Lord says that those “who overcome will be clothed in white garments.” This is an interesting expression and there may be several meanings that could be applied to it. Each meaning, I think, is interesting to note. Is He referring here to the wedding garments that Jesus spoke about in the parable in Matthew 22—the wedding which symbolizes and depicts those who are faithful and who are being part of the wedding party? That’s interesting to think about. Others have interpreted this as the robes of victory for those who are victorious. Again, think back to the “athletic analogies” that have been made. The victor in an athletic contest at this time would, many times, also put on a robe of white, in addition to the crown. Maybe that is what the Lord is referring to here.
When we also think about the analogy of having our sins washed away in the Blood of Christ and becoming pure and clean, we see here all of these images that relate to those who “overcome.” The Lord promises that “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” To “Overcome” is not accomplished by one’s own goodness or by one’s own value. To “overcome” is because of one’s association with and obedience to the Lord, having been washed free of sin, having put on the garments of righteousness, which are pure and clean before the Lord. So this is talking about and referring to God’s Own people. Christ will acknowledge them before the Father and His angels. What great promises He makes here to this congregation in Sardis! Once again, He comes across time to us in our day with these same promises.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA (verses 7-13)
That brings us now to the church in Philadelphia. This church is a “Faithful church.” The church in Sardis was a “dead church,” or at least a dying church.
Let’s begin with verse 7 of Revelation, chapter 3, and read this section: “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He Who is holy, He Who is true, “He Who has the key of David, He Who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:
[Verse 8] “ ‘ “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My Word, and have not denied My Name.
[Verse 9] “ ‘ “Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.
[Verse 10] “ ‘ “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
[Verse 11] “ ‘ “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.
[Verse 12] “ ‘ “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the Name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My New Name.’ ”
[Verse 13] “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Introduction to the City of Philadelphia
The City of Philadelphia was founded in the 2nd Century BC, and it was named in honor of Attalus II, who was the very loving, very loyal brother of the King of Pergamus. The title or name that Attalus II was actually given was “Philadelphus.” We know that the name “Philadelphia” means “brotherly love.” Here we see the origination of that name—it was named in the beginning for a loyal, loving and devoted brother.
The city was located about 28 miles southeast of Sardis. There was a road in the 1st Century that connected Sardis to the north, and Philadelphia and Laodicea to the south, and it was a Roman highway. Upon that highway traveled all kinds of trade caravans. The Roman soldiers maneuvered and marched up and down that road. It was part of the system of highways that the Romans built that helped them to maintain their power. This Roman highway went right through the City of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia was in a region that was known for, and subject to, earthquakes. The city was largely destroyed in about AD 17. But, through the generosity of the Roman Empire, it was able to be rebuilt. You will remember that Sardis had a similar history to this.
Philadelphia was a wine-producing region, and we are not surprised then to find that there was an active pagan cult there in the city and in that region who worshipped Dionysus, who was the god of wine. Now, even though it was on this trade route, and even though it was a well-established city, Philadelphia was probably not a very large city. The church there was probably not very large either, as is indicated in verse 8, “you have a little strength.”
It would seem that the principal opponents of the members of the church there in Philadelphia would be the Jews. You recall that in other cities, like Ephesus, and so on, where there were so many pagan gods, so much evil and this kind of thing going on (yes, citizens of Philadelphia did worship Dionysus, the god of wine), but it would seem their primary opponents—those who opposed these Christians here—were probably the Jews. Thus, Jesus’ reference to these Jews as the “synagogue of Satan,” there in verse 9. There is no mention here regarding persecution by Roman officials, or others.
It’s worth mentioning and reminding ourselves that the church in Philadelphia was one of two churches that received no condemnation—no rebuke at all from the Lord. Smyrna was the other. However, the Lord had more in the way of commendation for Smyrna than he does for Philadelphia. But it is worth noting that they were not rebuked in any way, as were the other five of the churches.
The Lord’s Self-Designation (verse 7)
Christ describes Himself here, verse 7, as being “holy” and “true.” Leviticus, chapter 20, verse 7, says, “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God,” [King James’ Version]. Well, there is an interesting thing to note, and that is that God is “holy,” and so declared to be “holy” in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. [1 Peter 1:13-16: “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He Who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”] Jesus, the Christ, is also “holy.” Here, He is declaring Himself to be “holy,” as well as in other places in the New Testament. We are reminded that God and His Son share the same attributes, like that of being “holy.”
We see also that Jesus declares Himself to be “true.” This word that is translated into the English word for “true” comes from a Greek word, which literally means “what is genuine” or “what is real.” He is the real—should I say it?—the “real McCoy”? He is the “genuine article.” He is not a “false” Christ—and there had been many false “Christs,” and continue to be many after His time. But He is the “true” One. As we think about this description of the Lord, Revelation, chapter 19, verse 11 says, “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He Who sat on Him was called Faithful and True….” So there is another reference to His being genuine—His being “True.” He will also declare, when He was here during His earthly ministry, that He was “the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” and “no one comes to the Father” but by Him, John 14, verse 6. So here [verse 7] He refers to Himself as “holy” and “true.” “Holy” like God is “Holy.” “True” in being genuine, actual, the Real One, so to speak.
Then there is another reference that is made here that has to do with the “keys of David.” In verse 7, “These things says He Who is holy, He Who is true, ‘He Who has the key of David….’” That’s an interesting comment. It is largely taken from Isaiah 22, verse 22. As a matter of fact, this is a quote from that passage. Let’s turn to Isaiah, chapter 22. “Keys” in the Old Testament represented “authority” and “power.” The context here is that David is giving his keys to Eliakim, his faithful servant. We notice in verse 22, “The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open.”Well, that sounds rather familiar, doesn’t it? Yes, David here is talking about what he is going to give to his faithful servant, but it is recognized almost universally as a Messianic prophecy. Here in Revelation 3, verse 7, it is almost quoted verbatim. So Jesus—this “Holy” One—this “True” One—has the “key of David.” He has the “authority”—He has the “power,” and He can “open the door” and “shut the door.” If He “opens the door,” then no one else can “shut the door.” He is the only One Who can admit a person to the true house of David, the Messianic Kingdom. Only He can show opportunities to the church. This is, again, a demonstration or statement of His “true” nature.
Commendation (verse 8)
Verse 8continues with this analogy of the “open door.” We see a connection here: He has the “key of David;” He can open the door; He can shut the door. No one else can do that. Now, what is the connection here with what He mentions in verse 8 as saying, “I have set before you an open door.”? There are a couple of different ideas that have been put forward about this. A door can certainly represent “admission” into a state (a set of circumstances or condition or opportunity) or into a place. Obviously, we have a door into our building. Unless you are able to come in through a window, you probably came in through a door. That door allowed you admission, or entrance, into the building. That is used, in fact, in a couple of places here in Revelation, like Revelation 3, verse 20 [“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”], and Revelation 4, verse 1 [“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.’”]. The illusion in those verses is that the door is a place or an avenue that you go through. However, in this context here in verse 8, it has to do more than likely with “opportunities.” An open door represents an opportunity for something to happen, or for someone to do something. In the Scriptures, it is a symbol of new and promising mission work, like the open door that was presented to Paul in Troas and in Ephesus.
We’re going to look at a couple places where this idea of an open door is used in this sense. Let’s look at Acts 14, verse 27. Paul and Barnabas had returned from their missionary journey. In verse 27, Now when they had come and gathered the church together” (this is the church in Antioch), “they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.” Well, there was an opportunity to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. Indeed, Paul did that! Also, in 2 Corinthians, chapter 2, verse 12, Paul is writing here and he’s talking about an opportunity to preach in Troas.“Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's Gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord.” Was it the door to the church building? No. It was a door of opportunity of which Paul could take advantage. Then in 1 Corinthians 16, verses 8 and 9, “But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” You will remember that Paul had great success in Ephesus. We talked a little bit about that as we looked at the first section of Revelation, chapter 2, the church in Ephesus, and what was written to them. We talked about the time that Paul was there with that church for a period of about three years, and that he taught, he preached, and he perhaps even used it as a base of operations where he could go out and spread the Gospel in that area. He saw that as a great and effective “door” of opportunity.
Well, if we take that meaning and understanding, then what is it that the Lord is saying here in verse 8 to the church in Philadelphia when He says, “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My Word, and have not denied My Name”? Simply this: It is connected to His knowing their works. You see, that’s the key. This was apparently a relatively small congregation. They didn’t have much strength or influence (“you have a little strength,”), and the implication of that phrase is that it had to do with their size. But, they were a working church—they were a working community for Christ. He knew that, and because of their work and their willingness, He had set before them opportunities. Opportunities for what? Well, we don’t know. He doesn’t say what their works were, but we can imagine that with Him being as well pleased with them as He was, and not rebuking them or condemning them in any way, that they must have been in the business of evangelizing. They must have been in the business of benevolence. They must have been in the business of keeping the saved “saved,” [exhorting] because those are, as we know, the three primary works of any church, whether it’s a church in ancient Philadelphia in the latter part of the 1st Century, or whether it’s the Northeast church of Christ here in Albuquerque, New Mexico, today. The door of opportunity opened before them. “No one can shut” that door. The Lord was pleased with them and what they had done. They “kept His Word” and they “have not denied His Name.”Oh! that we would have that said about us! If the Lord were writing a letter to the Northeast congregation today, would that He would write, “I have set before you a door of opportunity. You have kept My Word. You have not denied My Name. You are not as big as a lot of other places; you are not as powerful, perhaps, as some of your opponents, but I know your works.” This congregation in Philadelphia must have been a great congregation.
Promise and Exhortation (verses 9-13)
We notice that the church in Philadelphia is beset with the same detractors as the church in Smyrna. Who were the opponents of the church? We talked a little bit about that in the Introduction. It’s not the Romans; it’s not the pagans. It is the Jews. In both cases, in Smyrna and here in Philadelphia, Jesus will very pointedly describe them as a “synagogue of Satan.”
They were those who claimed to be Jews, but were not Jews. What does that mean? Well, we know that there were synagogues built whenever there was as certain level of population of Jews in a community. The synagogue then became the center of worship, and, in a certain respect, the center of Jewish life in that community. If the community was large enough and there were enough Jews, a city might have more than one synagogue. Of course, a synagogue represented the place where God’s people met and worshipped. However, from the time of Christ and the establishment of the church—from the time He died upon the cross—from the time that He rose from the dead—from the time that the church was established in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost—the Jews, the children of Israel, were no longer God’s people in the way that they had been. When they came in direct opposition to the Lord’s church and to the Lord’s people, as they did in Smyrna and in Philadelphia, and many other places, then they became instruments of Satan, as they opposed the church and persecuted the church and tried to stop its progress and growth. Who were they working for? Certainly not for the Lord! They were instruments—maybe unwittingly, but instruments nonetheless—of Satan. That’s how the Lord describes them—“as a synagogue of Satan.” They opposed God. They were the people of God at one time, but now they are in strict opposition to God, and to the plan of God, and to the Will of God. They opposed God in their persecutions and in their opposition to the church [just as Paul, who, as Saul, was a ‘Jew among Jews,’ and persecuted the church, and thus, persecuted Christ]. Instead of the people of God, they have become the people of Satan. So as they gather in their synagogue, and we can picture this, and they are going through their ritual, so to speak—who it this church?—what is it?—they think they are being pleasing to God, but in reality, they are the servants of Satan.
But while the Lord mentions in verse 9 “those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, butlie…,” He also says, “I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.” Is this the “open door” that the Lord says that He would give them in verse 8? Is the door of opportunity for these Christians there in Philadelphia to evangelize among the Jewish community?—to convert many?—or even to convert all of the Jews there in that Jewish community to Christ? Is that the implication of this verse? Could be! We don’t know for certain the far reaches of the implication here, but that may be the door of opportunity that they were given. We don’t know for certain, but one thing that is clear: It is absolutely evident from what the Lord says that something is going to happen to these Jews—these Jews who are hindering the Lord’s work here in this place. Even if they are not converted, they will at least be made to acknowledge that the church IS the community of God—that the church of Christ IS God’s plan. Now, will that happen in that time there in the 1st Century? Will that be a time when those members of the church there in that community will see this happen, or will it be the time when the Lord comes again and “every knee will bow,” and “when every tongue will confess,” as Paul says in Philippians, chapter 2, verses 10 and 11? Again, we can’t be exactly sure about what the Lord has in mind, but clearly something is going to transpire—something is going to take place—either at that time, or in the future.
Let’s notice verse 10 again: “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” Here is a great promise that the Lord makes to these Christians in Philadelphia. Notice that He has already commended them for their works. He says, “I know your works” [verse 8], and it goes without saying because of the commendation that He has for them, that their works have been good works. He also says that He knows that they “have kept His Word,” and that they “have not denied His Name,” even in the face of the troubles and trials and persecutions. Now He commends them for keeping His “command to persevere,” [verse 10]. Another translation says, “patient endurance”—His command to “patiently endure.” They have been keeping that command. Thus, because of that and, no doubt, because of what else they have been doing, the Lord promises to “keep” them “from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world.”
What is this “hour of trial”? Well, it is generally believed that it has to do with the severe persecution and killing of Christians, which had already begun—which is already underway—thanks to the Roman Emperor Domician. But, it will intensify—it will “mushroom,” so to speak—in the years to come. Is the Lord’s commitment to these Christians, then, to keep them from this? We see in verse 10 that this “hour of trial” is characterized as a time of “testing.” Well, here is a church that, already in the face of persecution, has shown their faith and fidelity to the Lord. They have demonstrated their “perseverance;” they have demonstrated their “patient endurance.” The Lord has commended them for that. Have they already passed the “test”? Is the Lord satisfied with what they have done, and what they are doing now, and what they will continue to do? It’s interesting for us to think about this. Is the Lord going to protect them; is He going to seal them, as we will read when we get to chapter 6? Will they be sealed in a special way from this increased persecution that the Romans are going to bring upon the church as time goes on? Perhaps so.
In verse 11, the Lord encourages and says, “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.” He is the One Who is going to come, and so He encourages them to “hold fast,”—to hold tight, or we might say to “keep on keeping on,” and don’t let anything happen to that “crown”! Now, does He have reference here to the final coming—to His coming that is yet to take place—or does He have in mind, perhaps, a spiritual visit when He will come and strengthen and encourage and assist them? Some commentators believe that rather than protecting them and keeping them from that “hour of trial” we have spoken about, He will come spiritually. Now, we’re not talking about His final coming, but we’re talking about a spiritual visit to help them to endure that “hour of trial.” Well, that could be as well. But nevertheless, He says, “I am coming quickly!” And He says, “Don’t let anything happen to that ‘crown.’ ” There is a Message there for them, and that is that they need to continue to be faithful, to continue to endure, and that they need to continue to be watchful. That Message is there for us, as well. We, too, must continue to be faithful. We, too, must continue to endure. We, too, must ever be watchful, because “no man knows” “that day or the hour” when the Lord will return [Matthew 24:36-37, 42, 44: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be…Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming…Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Mark 13:32-33, 37: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is…And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”].
Concerning the “crown,” we know, in this Revelation that John is getting from the Lord,that the Lord is borrowing the symbol of athletic games and what the winner was given. This is a metaphor that Paul used several times during his writing to the churches. In 1 Corinthians 9, verse 25 he talks about not inheriting a “corruptible crown,” but, rather, an “incorruptible” crown [King James’ Version: “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.”].
We know that the winners of the athletic contests there in the 1st Century were given a crown that was sometimes made out of laurel branches or even pine boughs, and it was a great honor. But because they made them with live foliage, they would eventually die. They were “corruptible.” Paul says we have waiting for us an “incorruptible” crown. This is, again, a metaphor representing what is waiting for those who are faithful in the last day. As we go through our study of Revelation, we are going to see a great deal said about crowns. This is the first “salvo” [“barrage,” “bombardment,” “round”], so to speak.
The Lord says to them to “hold fast to what you have,” so“that no one may take your crown.” They are to guard what they have, keep it secure. How will they do that? Well, they will do that by “keeping on keeping on.” “Keep doing what you have been doing.” Now, this sets up the scenario which suggests that if the Lord is urging them to guard their crown—to guard their prize, if you will—it is possible for one to lose it, or for something to happen to it, or for it to be removed or taken away. Indeed, that is certainly a possibility. Unlike those who preach and teach and believe a “once saved always saved” doctrine, this certainly flies in the face of that doctrine. You CAN lose your crown if you do not remain faithful. [1 Timothy 6:21-22: “O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge — by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.”]
Verse 12 says, “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the Name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My New Name.” In Galatians, chapter 2, verse 9, Paul is writing to the several churches that were in the region of Galatia. He spoke about those who were faithful leaders in the church, and he refers to them as “pillars,” as in those who support the structure of the church. Well, does the Lord have in mind the church here when He tells them that if they “overcome,” they will become “pillars”? Could be, but, more likely, I believe what the Lord is referring to here has to do with eternity, and has to do with heaven. As we’ll see later on in Revelation, chapter 7, verse 15 [“Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He Who sits on the throne will dwell among them,” and chapter 11, verse 19 [“Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.”], it very specifically refers to and talks about the “temple” of God and it is representing—not the church—but heaven. So, here the Lord makes a promise. If you “overcome,” then I will plant you in—I will put you in—I will make you part of—that structure that is in heaven. Heaven is described euphemistically, or metaphorically, as a temple, and you will be part of that.
Also notice that they will be inscribed with the “Name” of God. This carries on here with the analogy and symbolism of the temple, of temple worship in the Old Testament under the Law of Moses, and so on. In Numbers, chapter 6, verse 27, we see that as part of the priestly blessing that the high priest gave, the Name of God was written on every Israelite. Well, for those who are faithful, for those who “overcome,” both in the church of Christ in Philadelphia there in the latter part of the 1st Century, and those who today are part of the Kingdom of God, God will “write” His “Name” on His people. And not only His “Name,” but also the name of His “city,” referred to here in verse 12 as the “New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God.”
I don’t know whether this is necessarily applicable, but the thought crossed my mind. How many of us wear some kind of a name plate or some kind of a name tag to identify ourselves? How many of us have taken an indelible marker [a permanent marker] and written the name and address of a child on their clothing to identify them as the owner? Or, perhaps, we have sewn name labels onto the child’s clothing. How do we identify the child that belongs to that clothing? With a different name, a wrong address? No! We put on their name, and we put on their address. They can be identified by name, as far as who the clothing belongs to, and they can also be located because their address is there. I think the imagery here is just spectacular! As a faithful child of God, it is spectacular to think about having His “Name” on us, and having our “new address” on the label as well! Wow!! [i.e. My name is “Christian” or “child of God”; my address is “heaven.”] That’s what the Lord promises to those Christians there in the church in Philadelphia.
The Lord closes out here in verse 13, as He does in all of the letters, with an admonition. He only has commendation for them. By comparison, the number of promises that the Lord gives to this church here in Philadelphia are more than any of the other seven churches, including the church in Smyrna. So, even though they are doing very well in their work, and even though the Lord has no words of rebuke or condemnation for them, their work is not done! It’s not time to relax and “rest on their laurels,” so to speak. He ends there with that admonition—“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
There is a responsibility that I [John Phillis] have as a minister of the Gospel to preach, to teach, to present the Gospel, to speak words of exhortation, to speak words of encouragement, and so on. There is a responsibility that each of you have as well, as members of the Body of Christ. The teaching and the preaching is not “vested in the clergy” in the church of Christ as it is in denominations. No, each one of us has a responsibility to share the Gospel with others. But those who are on the receiving end have a responsibility as well. Yes, we have the responsibility to present the information in a loving and caring manner, and of being faithful to the Word of God as we present it. But those who are the hearers also have a responsibility of hearing and of accepting and of believing. That’s what the Lord’s admonition here is: “He who has an ear, let him hear.” The information is there. Listen to what the Spirit has to say.
Keep in mind that this letter to the church in Philadelphia was part of the overall epistle that would be delivered and circulated among all of these churches in Asia Minor, as well as, no doubt, other congregations of the Lords’ people. But it was addressed specifically to the seven churches. So the admonition is: Here is what the Spirit has to say about your situation. Give an ear to that, but moreover, give an ear to everything that the Spirit has to say! And we have that responsibility as well! We have the responsibility to listen, to accept, and to believe.
LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN LAODICEA (verses 14-22)
Introduction to the City of Laodicea
For several weeks, we’ve been looking at what the Lord has to say to the seven churches that were in Asia Minor in the latter part of the 1st Century. We’ve looked at what He had to say to the “loveless church” in Ephesus; what He had to say to the “persecuted church” in Smyrna; what He had to say to the “compromising church” in Pergamos; what He had to say to the “corrupt church” in Thyatira; to the “dead or dying church” in Sardis; and to the “faithful church” in Philadelphia. That brings us now to what the Lord has to say to the “Lukewarm church” in Laodicea.
Laodicea was a city located about 40 miles southeast of Philadelphia, and about ten miles west of Colosse. As we’ve been looking at these seven churches of Asia, we’ve been trying to picture them and where we are. Look in the back of your Bible, where there is, no doubt, a map which will indicate where these seven churches of Asia are. Laodicea will be the southern most, and inland most, of those seven churches.
Laodicea was named by Antiochus, the King of Syria, who founded the city. He named the city after his wife, whose name was Laodice.
Laodicea was a wealthy city. It flourished under Roman rule. It had actually become a very prominent banking center, and was recognized as such here in the latter part of the 1st Century. It was also known for manufacturing. One of the principal products of manufacture was a cloth that was woven from wool. This was black wool Because the sheep in that region were typically black, their wool was black. This was a very popular cloth for garment making.
It was known for something else as well. It had a flourishing medical school. In addition to a medical center and medical school, they also had developed a type of eye salve using “Phrygian powder.” This powder was also manufactured.
So Laodicea was known in a material sense, or secular sense, as a banking center, as a manufacturing center, and as a medical center. Keep these things in mind, because as we look at the text, we are going to see how the Lord will use these things that the city was well-known for, or famous for, as He will rebuke the church there.
The church there in Laodicea was one that was known by the apostle Paul. We have said that, perhaps, all of these churches addressed in Revelation were known by the apostle Paul. Perhaps, any number of them were established by him because of the region they are in, and for the fact that he was in Ephesus for as many years and working in that region. Perhaps he would travel and visit these locales and preach and teach and baptize, and the church would be established. Some of the other congregations we’ve discussed are not discussed elsewhere in Scriptures, but Paul knew about the church at Laodicea. Either he was responsible for establishing the church there, or perhaps it was his colleague, Epaphras. Recall that, according to Paul in Colossians 4, verse 13, where he writes to the church in Colosse, Epaphras had a “great zeal” for the church there in Laodicea. He prayed fervently for that church. Also, Paul apparently wrote an epistle to the church in Laodicea.
Look over in Colossians, chapter 4, for a moment. We can look at verse 12, concerning Epaphras, and see: “Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the Will of God.” Of course Paul is talking there about Epaphras being concerned about the church in Colosse, but he goes on in verse 13: “For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis.” Well, Epaphras was very concerned and prayed for the church in Laodicea. Then look at verse 16: “Now when this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.”
So we know that one of the practices was that these letters written by Paul, and others of the apostles, would be passed around from congregation to congregation, from city to city. And in this letter that he wrote to the church in Colosse, his instruction is to “Make sure you pass this on to the church—to those Christians—in Laodicea so they’ll see this as well. And, oh, by the way, make sure you get that letter, that epistle that I wrote to Laodicea, and you read that!” Well, we don’t know what happened to that letter. It is lost, obviously. Again, the point is that Paul had an association with this church. That association would have been about 25 years, or more, earlier than the time the Lord is saying these things about them here in Revelation.
Let’s take a look now at the text, Revelation, chapter 3, beginning with verse 14, and read thru the end of the chapter: "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, "These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:
[Verse 15]“‘I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
[Verse 16]“ ‘So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
[Verse 17]“ ‘Because you say, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing”--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
[Verse 18]“ ‘I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
[Verse 19]“ ‘As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
[Verse 20]“ ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
[Verse 21]“ ‘To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.’
[Verse 22]“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
The Lord’s Self-Designation (verse 14)
Remember that these Words, recorded by John, are Words spoken by the Lord Himself. The description that we see here in the first verse of this text is the Lord Himself describing Himself in a particular way. He refers to Himself as “the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness.” Now, what does that mean? What does the Lord have in mind here with that description of Himself? Well, “amen” is a word we use frequently. It means “so be it,” or “may it be so.” As the “Faithful and True Witness”—what He says, what Christ says—you can say “amen” to. It’s going to be accurate. It’s going to be correct. It’s going to be truthful. You can count on it! It’s going to be just right! What the Lord says will be the exact Truth. His Words will be in strict accord with the Will of God. This is in complete contrast to those who did not speak Truth, to those who compromised Truth, to those who acquiesced to those who did not speak Truth (particularly to the Roman Emperor, and even to those who attempted to pass themselves off, if you will, as “latter-day christs”).
The Lord gave this description to this church for a reason. That reason would be that they, no doubt, had experienced all of these things—the untruths, witnesses who were not reliable, and those who acquiesced to the Roman government. And so the Lord is assuring these Laodiceans that what they hear from Him will be just right. It will be the Truth. It will be according to the Will of God.
He also identifies Himself as “the Beginning of the creation of God.” In that day, in the latter part of the 1st Century, people spoke of Rome and the Emperor—the Caesar—as being eternal and living forever. That’s perhaps the frame of reference that those in Laodicea, a Roman community, might have about eternal things. If a Laodicean spoke of something eternal, or thought of something that existed from the creation, their thoughts might be of Rome and of the Caesar. But, it is the One Who is speaking—it is the Christ Who was there at the Beginning of God’s creation. He was present with the Father in the morning of time. In the beginning of John’s Gospel, he would pen these marvelous words about Whom he was going to write—that is, Jesus Christ, the Lord. He said, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made,” John 1, verses 1 through 3 [King James’ Version]. Then John will later say in verse 14 of John, chapter 1,“and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” If there was any confusion or misunderstanding about who John was speaking about in the first three verses, this clarifies it. He was speaking about Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, the One Who came in the flesh. Indeed, He was there at the beginning. He was part of the creation. He was not created, He was the Creator. And this, too, for these readers, establishes His credibility. It makes His Testimony “Faithful and True.”
So, The One Who spoke these things to the Laodicean Christians was “the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness,” and He joined God in the creation of mankind and in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and all that is in it. These are pretty impressive credentials, I would say. Wouldn’t you? When the Lord speaks, you’d better listen. Church in Laodicea—you’d better listen! Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2003—you’d better listen!
Condemnation and Warning (verses 15-20)
In verse 15, He says, “I know your works.” This is a statement that He has made previously to the other churches He has addressed.
Here in Laodicea, though, we see that their works are not characterized in their actions, but are more characterized by their attitudes. Their attitude was one of “indifference.” It was an attitude of “lethargy.” The descriptive term “lukewarm” describes their attitude. And the Lord says that He would rather they were either ice “cold” or they were “hot,” one or the other, but, please, not in between—not “lukewarm.”
Now, we can understand that the Lord would desire that this church—that any church—would be “hot,” the implication being that they are working, they are active, they are doing the things that they should be doing, that they are winning souls, that they are keeping the saved saved, that they are doing all those works that the church should be doing. That is the clear implication of being “hot.” We sometimes use the cliché of being “on fire,” and sometimes we use that in reference to a new Christian, someone who has recently obeyed the Gospel, who is full of zeal and wanting to learn and to study and just can’t keep quiet about what has happened to him or her. And we say, “That person is ‘on fire’ for the Lord!” We might even point to a congregation sometimes, and look at all that they are doing in the Name of the Lord, all the good works that they are involved in, and say, “My, that’s a congregation that is ‘on fire’ for the Lord!” They’re “hot” (and not in the present sense/meaning of the word that is sometimes used by young people). So we can understand that part.
But “cold”? Does the Lord really desire that someone be “cold”? What is the implication of that? Clearly, that is someone who is outside of Christ. Someone “in the world” would be how I would describe that. Why would the Lord prefer that someone be outside of His Body? Well, there are a couple schools of thought here. One is that, perhaps, if someone is in the world, then there is a better opportunity to teach that one, to convert that one, than perhaps a Christian who is “lukewarm” and is full of him or herself, and who really has this lethargic type of attitude about the Lord and His work, and so on. That may be a possible thought.
Here’s another idea, and I think that, perhaps, this idea may be more likely. Perhaps the idea/thought is that one who is in the world cannot have an ill affect on the Body of Christ. The one who is in the world IS in the world—not a part of the Body. However, one who is “lukewarm,” one who has been baptized into Christ, who has obeyed the Gospel, who has become a child of God, but is “lukewarm” or lethargic in their work, in their attitude, in their approach, is a person who can certainly have a deleterious [harmful] effect—a negative impact—on the Body of Christ. What about an entire congregation that is classified as “lukewarm”? What does that do to the Name of Christ, I ask you?
So, I would think that the Lord would be saying that He would prefer that you were energetic, that you were alive, that you were “hot,” that you were working and serving. But if you are not going to be that way, He would prefer that you were out in the world were you can’t damage His cause.
The Lord feels very strongly about this. In the original language, this is a very emphatic statement that is being made. In a very real sense, what the Lord is saying here we might say this way: “You make me sick!” Now, that’s a very strong statement that we would say to someone else. This is a very cutting statement. But that’s exactly what the Lord is saying here. “Your condition makes Me Sick” and “I will vomit you out of My mouth” because “you make Me sick.”
There is an interesting point here and perhaps it is the reason why the Lord uses this particular thought or very strong image of “vomiting them out.” This is from Brother W.B. West, Jr.’s book on Revelation. He says this: “At Heropolis, a few miles north of Laodicea, a stream makes its way rapidly down the side of the road. The stream gushes out at Heropolis and makes its way to Laodicea and beyond as it has for centuries.” Now listen to this: “If anyone drinks this water, he becomes deathly sick at his stomach. The lukewarm water would cause 99 out of a 100 to vomit. The church in Laodicea was a lukewarm church that made the Lord sick.” The Lord’s illustrative language here may very well have been made because of the Lord’s familiarity and their familiarity with this stream of lukewarm water. The knowledge of this stream of lukewarm water would certainly emphasize the point the Lord was making.
Verses 17 and 18 explain the complacency, the lethargy, of this church. They boastingly speak of and feel that they are “wealthy”—that they are not in need or want in any area. Yet we see that the Lord will categorize them, in His view, as a church that is “wretched.” It is “miserable,” it is “poor;” they are “blind” and they are “naked.”
Here again, think about what the Lord is saying. In this city, which is a wealthy city and where they make fine black-woolen garments, and where this eye salve is made, He will cite these major things that the city is known for as being the downfall of the church. They think they are “wealthy,” but He says they are “poor.” They think they are well clothed, but He says they are “naked.” They think that they see quite well, perhaps because of this salve, but He says they are “blind.” He advises them to quit trusting in their riches—to quit trusting in this material wealth that they have access to.
Rather, “buy gold from Me,” the Lord says. He’s not talking about literal gold. He’s talking about something that is far more valuable. He’s talking about real spiritual wealth. He’s saying, “You need true covering for your nakedness and you need true medicine.” He says that true wealth, those true riches, is a “gold” that is “tested in fire.” This, of course, has to do with true spiritual wealth.
Notice that He says that they need to have “white garments.” What color was the wool that they produced here in this region? It was black! He is saying, “You need white garments.” The implication is that they need to become cleansed and perfect in character because they are washed in the blood of the lamb. And He would say, “Open your eyes. Look at your true condition and see clearly God’s Way for you to see clearly, not by this salve that you manufacture and that you use, but by true medicine, medicine that is prescribed by the Great Physician.”
This has been a very harsh rebuke, perhaps the most severe rebuke of any of the seven churches that we have studied. But notice in verse 19 that, in spite of this harsh rebuke and the reproofs and the chastenings, the Lord expresses His love to them. He has pointed out their faults and their failures. He’s given them, as we might say, “a reality check,” but He still loves them. He still cares for them. He’s not going to overlook their shortcomings. No, He will direct them: “Here is what you can do to correct your problem. First, you need to get out of the lukewarm, and you need to get to the hot! You need zeal; you need to be on fire for Me! You need to rekindle that spirit that you once had for Me! And, you need to repent! Repent of your wrong doing.”
In verse 20, He presents that beautiful imagery that we have seen so often and that we even sing about in some of our hymns, where He says, “I stand at the door and knock.” We might imagine that. For the church in Laodicea, He would stand at the door and knock, seeking entrance to be with them, and to partake of a meal with them. By the way, in the culture of that day, there was nothing that was more special or created more of a bond between and among individuals than to share a meal together—to go into someone’s house and share a meal with them. The Lord is telling them, “That’s what I want to do with you! I’m outside your door knocking, but you must open the door and let Me in!”
Promise and Exhortation (verses 21-22)
He finally tells them that they have the possibility in sharing “His throne,” sharing the throne of God, if they are faithful and if they will be victorious in this life. That is the qualification to attain that goal—they must overcome just as He overcame and sat down with His Father on His throne.
Well, that is what the Lord had to say to the church in Laodicea. This concludes our look at the seven churches of Asia. As stated at the beginning, while these things are directly written to these seven churches, there is still application for us today, for us as a congregation, and for us as individuals. We should look at it in that fashion.