Introductory remarks:
Chapter three continues John's letters to the seven Churches to the end of this chapter, and then from chapter four to the end of Revelation the Church is not mentioned again. John continues now and begins chapter three with a letter to the assembly at Sardis.
"The capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia was Sardis. It was situated in a plain watered by the river Pactolus. The city was of very ancient origin. Herodotus gives the account of its siege and capture by Cyrus, and of its previous fortification by an old king, Meles. It was ruled by a series of able princes, the last of whom was Croesus, celebrated for his wealth and his misfortunes. In the earlier part of his reign he extended his dominion over the whole of Asia Minor, with the exception of Lucia and Cilicia. The Lydian rule was terminated by the conquest of Cyrus. From the Persians it passed into the hands of Alexander the Great, after which, for the next hundred years, its fortunes are obscure. In B.C. 214 it was taken and sacked by Antiochus the Great after a siege of two years. The kings of Pergamus next succeeded to the dominion, and from them it passed into the hands of the Romans.
In the time of Tiberius it was desolated by an earthquake, together with eleven or twelve other important cities of Asia, and the calamity was increased by a pestilence [an epidemic].
Sardis was in very early times an important commercial city. Pliny says that the art of dyeing wool was invented there, and it was the entrepot of the dyed wool manufactures, carpets, etc., the raw material for which was furnished by the flocks of Phrygia. It was also the place where the metal electrum was procured. Gold was found in the bed of the Pactolus. Silver and gold coins are said to have been first minted there, and it was at one time known as a slave-mart. The impure worship of the goddess Cybele was celebrated there, and the massive ruins of her temple are still to be seen. The city is now a heap of ruins. In 1850 no human being found a dwelling there" (Vincent).
The Message to Sardis
Verse 1, "And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead."
LGT "And to the messenger of the assembly in Sardis write: These things says the One who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works that you have a name that you are living, and are dead.
"And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write;"
John is instructed to write to the messenger as he did to the other messengers of the other assemblies. The Lord has a different message to each congregation. We can benefit from each letter if we study them in depth and if we do not spiritualize what the Lord is intending to say.
"Sardis was an ancient city of Lydia, on the banks of the mountain Timolus, said to have been the chief city of Asia the Less, and the first city in that part of the world that was converted by the preaching of John; and, some say, the first that revolted from Christianity, and one of the first that was laid in its ruins, in which it still lies, without any church or ministry" (Matthew Henry).
"These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God,"
Remember that the number seven is the number of perfection, and as noted before this is not seven different Spirits, but one perfect Holy Spirit in all His manifestations. The Holy Spirit has worked in every dispensation displaying the efficacious, effectual Word of God. It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to enlighten every believer in every age.
"And the seven stars;"
The seven stars were identified in 1:20 as the messengers of each of the assemblies. John wrote to the seven churches under his management.
"I know thy works,"
Jesus begins each of the letters from John with a word of commendation, but here in this letter as with Laodicea, He begins with a reproof. The seven churches had the fullness of the Holy Spirit the seven Spirits, and were a church that originally loved and understood Bible doctrine.
"That thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead."
The name that they had was a good name, but the Lord in a different light saw it than men saw it. God sees the heart of Man. According to the community this church was vitally alive, but according to God it was dead. "Protestantism today, as a whole, has a name that it lives, but it is dead. Many Protestant churches today are just going through form. They are building all the time, and people are coming, especially on Sunday mornings. Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. This is a frightful condemnation and is a picture of Protestantism today" (McGee). The church had a reputation of being spiritually alive but they were carnally dead.
Verse 2, "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God."
LGT "Be watchful, and stabilize the things remaining, which were ready to die, for I have not found thy works complete in the presence of My God."
"Be watchful,"
Literally, keep on becoming watchful.
"And strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die:"
This assembly had a good beginning, and the Lord is telling them to wake up and establish those doctrines they had received before they die out. Some expositors see the things as people in the church, but for me, I see the things being in the neuter gender, as doctrine, by what immediately follows.
For I have not found thy works perfect before God."
The word 'perfect' in the Greek is pleroo, which means completed or perfected. "Thy works are not complete: there is the shell, but not the kernel; there is the carcass, but not the soul - the shadow, but not the substance. The inward thing is wanting, 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. Now when the spirit is wanting the form cannot long subsist" (Matthew Henry).
Verse 3, "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."
LGT "Remember therefore how you have received and heard and keep [it] and repent. If therefore you will not watch, I will come as a thief, and in no wise will you know what hour I will come upon you."
"Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard,"
The phrase 'remember therefore' is mnemoneue oun meaning to 'keep in mind.' The phrase 'how thou hast received and heard' is that the act of receiving doctrine is in the perfect tense meaning an 'act of permanent deposit' (Vincent). The word 'heard' is in the aorist tense indicating the act of hearing in the past. So what we have is that the Lord is saying to them, they should keep in mind the doctrines that have been deposited to them in the past. RBT translates this phrase, Recall to mind what you have received [application of doctrine to life's situations] and heard [positive volition - hearing the Word.
"And hold fast, and repent."
Literally, and keep it. The verb 'repent' is metanoeson a first active aorist meaning to 'turn at once' (Robertson). The lord is telling them to guard the truth and confess [1 John 1:9] and immediately turn around in the right direction.
"If therefore thou shalt not watch,"
The same word for 'watch' gregoreo in verse two is used here, meaning, if then you do not wake up.
"I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know the hour I will come upon thee."
"As a thief (hos kleptes). As Jesus had already said (Matt. 24:43; Luke 12:39), as Paul had said (1 Thess. 5:2), as Peter had said (2 Peter 3:10), as Jesus will say again (Rev. 16:15)" (Robertson). The Lord is saying that if they don't turn around immediately, He will come to them to administer discipline, but they will not know when. "Such a visit from Christ will be to their loss; He will come as a thief, to strip them of their remaining enjoyments and mercies, not by fraud, but in justice and righteousness, taking the forfeiture they have made of all to Him" (Matthew Henry).
Shall not know the hour is presented here preceded by a double negative ou me meaning in no way will you know.
Verse 4, "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."
LGT "But you have a few names [persons] in Sardis which have not soiled their clothes, and they shall walk around with Me in whites, because worthy they are."
"Thou hast a few names even in Sardis"
The word names here are equivalent to persons. The word 'even' is omitted.
"Which have not defiled their garments;"
They have not partaken in the corruption, "have not sullied [dishonored] the purity of the Christian faith" (Vincent). They have not defiled their Christian life.
"Protestantism has certainly produced some great men of God. Romanism did the same thing, even during the dark ages, but that does not mean to commend the system. The system of Romanism and the system of Protestantism, as they are revealed in the great denominations which have departed from the faith, to me are the organizations which will eventually bring in the apostate church because they have departed from the great tenets and doctrines of the Christian faith" (McGee).
"And they shall walk with Me in white:"
Literally, perpatesousin to walk around. This is a future promise of fellowship with Christ. The color white is a symbol of purity.
"For they are worthy."
Our worthiness comes from Christ in His imputation of His righteousness on us. It could not be otherwise. There are those who teach this section as only reserved for the mature believer, but the whole context seems to have to be changed in order to get this interpretation. We are overcomers by the Blood of the Lamb, and our names cannot be blotted out of the Book of Life. I am not denying rewards being given to the faithful one, however, I just cannot understand this portion to be teaching this doctrine; believe me kids, I could be wrong, and I don't say that too often, because what I teach is directly out of the Word of God; but you know that there are some difficult to understand portions of Scripture where we just have to say, I don't know.
Verse 5, " 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 His angels."
LGT "The one victorious [overcomes] in this way he will be clothed in white clothing [robe] and I will in no way blot out his name from the book of life and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels."
He that overcometh,"
We have this word again nikos is to be victorious. I have not found as yet that the believer has gained any victory save in faith alone in Christ alone.
"The same shall be clothed in white raiment;"
White raiment is a symbol of purity and of fellowship with the Lord. "The purity of grace shall be rewarded with perfect purity of glory. Holiness, when perfected, shall be its own reward; glory is the perfection of grace, differing not in kind, but in degree" (Matthew Henry).
"And I will not blot his name out of the book of life,"
This is a very difficult passage to understand because of all the different viewpoints that have been written through the ages. Without going into some of the theories that have been put forward, I will simply say that I believe that what has been said earlier makes me believe that this is a statement that should bolster our belief in eternal security. The double negative is ou me is used I will in no way blot his name out. This use of the double negative in the Greek is to stress the absolute character of the statement. We know that we overcome by the blood of the Lamb, that is, Jesus Christ's death on the Cross; we also know that we will be clothed in white raiment, that is, clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Christ has imputed on all who believe His righteousness, 2 Cor. 5:21. Now I am sure that because of Christ I have overcome death, hell and the devil. I believe that in every case the Lord speaks of our overcoming He means that we are safe in His care, and if we are secure in Him, and we are, it could not mean that it would be possible to have our names blotted out; this would not be logical if we are saved by grace. Therefore, I believe this phrase means that our names are secured, because they have been secured by Him.
"Martin Lloyd-Jones has approached the passage from the assumption that 'name' always means person throughout the book. This has the advantage of consistency over other interpretations. He explains the apparent contradiction between 13:8 and 3:5 by saying 3:5 is an illustration of a figure of speech known as litotes. In this figure 'an affirmative meaning is expressed by denying its opposite'. When we say, 'an artist of no small stature,' we mean he is an outstanding artist. When Paul says of the rebellious generation, 'God was not pleased with most of them' (1 Cor. 10:5), he means God was extremely displeased with all of them but two! When Paul says, 'I am not ashamed of the gospel,' he really means that he is very proud of it. Or when Luke says the believers were 'not a little comforted' at the restoration of Eutychus to life (Acts 20:12), he means they were 'exceedingly' comforted" (Joseph Dillow - The Reign of the Servant Kings).
"But I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels."
The word 'confess' is homologeo, which means that He will acknowledge his name before God and His adoring angels. He gives us all a new name, and than acknowledges that name when He presents us as trophies of His wonderful grace before the Father.
Verse 6, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
LGT "The one having an ear let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the assemblies."
This wonderful Good-news is offered to all, but only those who will to hear, will hear, and be saved, and have a new name, and be an overcomer.
The Message to Philadelphia
"Philadelphia is seventy-five miles southwest of Sardis. The second city in Lydia. The adjacent region was celebrated as a wine-growing district, and its coins bore the head of Bacchus and the figure of a Bacchante. The population included Jews, Jewish Christians, and converts from heathenism. It suffered from frequent earthquakes. Of all the seven churches it had the longest duration of prosperity as a Christian city. It still exists as a Turkish town under the name of Allah Shehr, City of God. The situation is picturesque, the town being built on four of five hills, and well supplied with trees, and the climate is healthful. One of the mosques is believed by the native Christians to have been the gathering-place of the church addressed in the Apocalypse. "One solitary pillar of high antiquity has been often noticed as reminding beholders of the words in Ch. 3:12: Him that overcometh will I make a pillar of My God." (Vincent).
Verse 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."
LGT "And to the messenger of the assembly in Philadelphia write: These things says the holy One, the true One, the One who has the key of David, the One who opens and no one closes, and the one who closes and no one opens."
"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write;"
I am sure I have mentioned this before, but the word 'angel' in NT Greek is angelos and it means either 'an angel' or 'a messenger.' The only way to tell which term to use is by the context, and I am sure no one would argue that 'messenger' is true to form. The Lord uses this term 'messenger' in all the letters to these seven assemblies. The word 'church' is gr. ecclesia and it means in this context an assembly of Christians. The name 'Philadelphia' is a compound of philos love, and adelphos brother; so we get 'brotherly-love.'
"Philadelphia was a city in Asia Minor, seated upon the borders of Mysia and Lydia, and had its name from that brotherly love for which it was eminent [distinguished]. We can hardly suppose that this name was given to it after it received that Christian religion, and that it was so called from that Christian affection that all believers have, and should have, for one another, as the children of one Father and the brethren of Christ; but rather that it was its ancient name, on account of the love and kindness which the citizens had and showed to each other as a civil fraternity. This was an excellent spirit, and, when sanctified by the grace of the gospel, would render them an excellent church, as indeed they were, for here is no one fault found with this church, and yet, doubtless there were faults in it of common infirmity; but love covers such faults" (Matthew Henry).
"These things saith He that is holy, He that is true,"
This truly is the signature of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we were to say this about ourselves apart from the Lord's imputed righteousness ascribed to each of us, we would be liars. The Lord can say this about His own proven sinless character, because He is Ultimate Truth. Christ is called holy in Acts 2:27, Because Thou will not leave My soul in [Hades], neither wilt Thou [allow] Thine Holy One to see corruption. He is called 'True Light' in John 1:9, That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
"He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth."
"This is different from the keys of Hades and death which we saw in chapter 1, verse 18. This speaks of His regal claims as the Ruler of this universe. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end (Luke 1:32-33). He will sit on the throne of David in the Millennium, but today He is sovereign, sitting at His Father's right hand, waiting for His enemies to be made His footstool" (McGee). Christ is the only one who can open or shut the door to the Kingdom because of His sovereignty, and because of His work on Calvary.
Verse 8, "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."
LGT "I know your works, behold I have given you an opened door, which no one is able to shut it, because you have little power and did keep My word and did not deny My name."
"Behold I have set before thee an open door,"
Literally, I have given you a door opened. This open door, of course, is the 'gift of Jesus Christ.' All our service is a production of the Holy Spirit, and as such, are gifts from God. What is so beautiful about this whole concept, as I have mentioned before, and for sure will mention it again, is that this production of the Holy Spirit in our lives is what we will be rewarded for at the 'Bema Seat.' This opened door is also a reference to the Word of God. Nothing can be accomplished without knowledge of Bible doctrine.
"And no man can shut it:"
No one is able to stifle the truth.
"For thou hast a little strength,"
Literally, because you have little power. "Dunamin is the Greek word from which we get our English word dynamite. He says, you have a little power. This was a humble group of believers, which did not have impressive numbers, buildings, or programs. I get a little weary today hearing every Christian making reports. Even here at Thru the Bible we like to tell you how many radio stations our broadcast is heard on. My, how we like to talk about those things! My friend, that type of thing is not worth anything. We like to talk about the hundreds of letters we receive from those who have accepted Christ - that's nothing. The important thing is whether or not we are getting out the Word of God. He will do the counting. God has His own computer, which is registering all this, and He tells us that we had better not. The Apostle Paul said, I don't even judge myself (1 Cor. 4:3). Why not? In effect he is saying, 'I may report too many converts. I may speak evangelistically and give you a wrong figure. I may look at this a little differently than God does. I need to wait until I get into His presence for the accurate rendering of it" (T.T.B. J. Vernon McGee).
"And hast kept My word,"
Through times of trials and persecution this assembly of believers stayed true to the Word of God, even in the face of those who said they were not keeping God's Word, because only the Old Testament was the Word, and certainly not the word of the Apostles they had received by letters. This type of criticism is very prevalent in our own age. The intellectuals are in abundance that say that we Christians are stupid because we believe in the Word of God; however the Bible has already cast its judgment on these intellectuals with the Words, The fool has said in his heart, there is no God.
"And hast not denied My name."
Under heavy persecution of Domitian, these Christians could have avoided being tormented simply by denying that they were Christians, but they would not deny Christ's name.
Verse 9, "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."
LGT "Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan of them which say they are Jews themselves, and are not but do lie. Behold I will make them that they shall come and worship before your feet and to know that I have loved you."
"Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie;"
This phrase begins with 'behold, or lo' gr. idou a particle used to call attention to what the speaker is about to say. The Lord is saying here, listen carefully, what I am about to say to you. The Lord says here that those Jews who are at the present calling them selves Jews are liars, because they rejected and crucified their Messiah. These Jews expect homage from the Gentiles, but they will not receive any. The Jews who remained in the synagogue persecuted the Christians of the new faith. There is a remnant of Jews that are saved by 'faith alone in Christ alone' throughout these succeeding generations, but Israel, as a nation, will not be saved until the last half of the 'seven years of tribulation' in the 'last days.'
"The remnant of Israel which was being saved had left the synagogue by this time. They had given up the law as a means of salvation and sanctification. Those who continued in the synagogue were now in a false religion. As Paul makes it clear, " For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel" (Rom. 9:6) - they were no longer true Jews. He considered the true Israelite to be the one who had turned to Christ" (McGee).
"Behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee."
The Lord again uses this particle 'behold' and says listen carefully to this. I will make the enemies of the Philadelphian assembly to know that He loves them, and some of them, will be converted to Christianity.
"They shall worship at thy feet; not pay a religious and divine honor to the church itself, nor to the ministry of it, but shall be convinced that they have been in the wrong, that this church is in the right and is beloved of Christ, and they shall desire to be taken into communion with her and that they may worship the same God after the same manner. How shall this great change be wrought? By the power of God upon the hearts of His enemies, and by signal discoveries of His peculiar favor to His church: They shall know that I have loved thee. Observe, First, The greatest honor and happiness any church can enjoy consist in the peculiar love and favor of Christ. Secondly, Christ can discover this His favor to His people in such a manner that their very enemies shall see it, and be forced to acknowledge it. Thirdly, This will, by the grace of Christ, soften the hearts of their enemies, and make them desirous to be admitted into communion with them" (Matthew Henry).
Verse 10, "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."
LGT "Because you have kept the word of My patient endurance, I also will keep you out from the hour of trial which is about to be coming upon the whole habitation, to try the ones who dwell on the earth."
"Because thou hast kept the word of My patience,"
The word is literally, patient endurance. "Not the words which Christ has spoken concerning patience, but the word of Christ which requires patience to keep it; the Gospel which teaches the need of patient waiting for Christ (See 2 Peter 1:6; James 5:7)" (Vincent). "The word of My persevering endurance is My Gospel word, which teaches it in expectation of My coming (ch. 1:9). My endurance is the endurance, which I require and I practice. Christ Himself now endures, patiently waiting until the usurper be cast out, and all 'His enemies be made His footstool.' So, too, His Church, for the joy before her of sharing His coming kingdom, endures patiently" (A. R. Fausset).
"I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world."
The word temptation gr. peirasmou is literally the trial. The context is that of the present Roman Empire, and the persecution from it. It also could have an eschatological implication pointing to the final 'Great Tribulation' just before Christ returns. I do know that as we can see by the attitude of the world today, the very mention of the name of Christ, brings trial on the one who claims it. I also know that the more the Church was persecuted, the stronger it became, as we will see in the next phrase. "The Philadelphian Christians will not only triumph over the contempt and intrigues of their Jewish foes but also over the wide pagan trial (which is also a temptation), inasmuch as their devotion, already manifested in face of Jewish malice, will serve to carry them through the storm of Roman persecution. The reward of loyalty is in fact fresh power to be loyal on a higher level: 'the wages of going on, and ever to be.' This seems better than to take the world-wide trial as the final attempt (8:13; 11:10 etc.) to induce repentance in men or to punish them; from which the Philadelphian Christians would be exempt" (The Expositor's Greek Testament).
"To try them that dwell on the earth."
The word 'try', gr. peirasai to tempt, not merely to afflict. For the unbeliever the hour of temptation will be the great separator of the 'sheep from the goats', while to the believer it will be an experience designed for their eternal reward.
Verse 11, "Behold, I come quickly: hold fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown."
LGT "I come suddenly: hold on which you have, in order that no one take your crown."
Christ begins with a note of encouragement that their testing would not be of a long duration; He tells them to be true to the doctrine that He has given them, that is, to put doctrine into everyday use, and they can be assured they will be rewarded in eternity. No man can take away their crown, but if they listen to the Tempter there would be a possibility of their losing their crown. Works are produced by God's Holy Spirit, and then the believer will be rewarded for their allowing Him to work through them; it is possible to earn a reward, and then to lose it; a Christian can receive rewards now, through approbation lust, or to be faithful and receive it in eternity.
Verse 12, "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."
LGT "The one who is victorious I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will in no way go out evermore, and I will write upon him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem which comes down out from heaven from My God, and My name, the new One."
"Him that overcometh"
Again, I must say that all believer's 'overcome' by 'the Blood of the Lamb.' We are all victorious by believing, and some will receive rewards and some of us will lose rewards, or never earn them in the first place. I believe this verse is inserted in order to encourage all believers to work for rewards. We will all see Him face to face and see Him as He is. I do not believe there will be equality in heaven, but the status will be that some believers who were serious concerning Bible doctrine will have an appreciation that will surpass all understanding. Maturity by the standard alone is able to appreciate the finer things; I believe that the believers today who appreciate serious Bible study, serious Christian fellowship, serious classical music, will be among the select mature elite. Today the Church has degenerated in all these areas, especially in their appearance and their horrendous racket they call music. They have completely disregarded Paul's exhortation in Rom. 12:1,2 of non-conformity to the world, and have adopted the ways of the world to the extent that it is now impossible to tell the church apart from this drug-infested, vermin eaten society.
"Will I make a pillar in the temple of My God,"
"The one who overcomes [all believers] "Will be a monumental pillar in the temple of God; not a pillar to support the temple (heaven needs no such props), but a monument of the free and powerful grace of God, a monument that shall never be defaced nor removed, as many stately pillars erected in honor to the Roman emperors and generals have been" (Matthew Henry). There will be no actual temple in heaven, for all of heaven is the temple of God; as our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, it means that we are the place where the Holy Spirit resides.
"Inscriptions upon pillars being a common feature of Oriental architecture, names on pillars; the provincial priest of the Imperial cultus erected his statue in the temple at the close of his year's official reign, inscribing on it his own name and his father's, his place of birth and year of office. Hence some of the mysterious imagery of this verse, applied to Christians as priests of God in the next world" (The Expositor's Greek Testament).
"And he shall go no more out:"
The assemblies on earth were temporary, but in heaven we believers will be a permanent fixture of God's grace. The use of the double negative makes this phrase absolute, lit. he will in no way go out evermore. The believer is a permanent fixture in heaven.
"And I will write upon him the name of My God,"
The Church Age believer will have the name of God inscribed on them as His possession; we are His, because we are bought and paid for by the precious blood of Christ, and we are not our own, we belong to God throughout eternity.
"And the name of the city of My God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God:"
"This is the passport and visa of the believer which will enable him or her, as a citizen of heaven, to pass freely upon this earth or anywhere in God's universe. He is a pillar to go no more out, but with God's passport they are to go everywhere. Although this is paradoxical [seemingly contradictory], it is all wonderfully and blessedly true" (McGee).
"And I will write upon him My new name."
He will write His name on us. We will not receive a new name, but we will have His new name written on us that we are His eternal possession. The term 'new' is kainos, which is not new in time, but in species. We are the realized Bride of the Bridegroom.
Verse 13, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
LGT "The one who has an ear, let him hear the things the Spirit is saying to the assemblies."
"Let the one who so chooses hear doctrine from the Word of God. This is positive volition" (RBT). How the Lord loves His Bride and wants them all to be winners in heaven.
The Message to Laodicea
Verse 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."
LGT "And to the messenger of the assembly in Laodicea write: These things says the Amen, the faithful witness the true One, the beginning of the creation of God."
"And unto the angel of the church of the laodiceans write;"
"As Laodice was a common name among the ladies of the royal house of the Seleucidae, the name given to several cities in Syria and Asia Minor. The one here addressed was on the confines of Phrygia and Lydia, about forty miles east of Ephesus, and was known as Laodicea on the Lycus. It had borne successively the names of Diospolis and Rhoas, and was named Laodicea when refounded by Antiochus Theos, B.C. 261-246. It was situated on a group of hills between two tributaries of the Lycus - the Asopus and the Caprus. Towards the end of the Roman Republic, and under the first emperors, it became one of the most important and flourishing cities of Asia Minor. One of its citizens, Hiero, bequeathed all his enormous property to the people, and adorned the city with costly gifts. It was the seat of large money transactions and of an extensive trade in wood. The citizens developed a taste for Greek art, and were distinguished in science and literature. Laodicea was the seat of a great medical school. During the Roman period it was the chief city of a Roman conventus or political district, in which courts were held by the proconsul of the province, and where the taxes from the subordinate towns were collected. Cicero held his court there, and many of his letters were written thence. The conventus represented by Laodicea comprised not less than twenty-five towns, and inscriptions refer to the city as 'the metropolis.' The Greek word dioichasis, corresponding to the Latin conventus, was subsequently applied to an ecclesiastical district, and appears in diocese. The tutelary deity of the city was Zeus (Jupiter). Hence its earlier name, Diospolis, or City of Zeus. Many of its inhabitants were Jews. It was subject to frequent earthquakes, which eventually resulted in its abandonment. It is now a deserted place, but its ruins indicate by their magnitude its former importance. Among these are a racecourse, and three theaters, one of which is four hundred and fifty feet in diameter. An important church council was held in the fourth century" (Word Studies in the N.T. - Marvin R. Vincent).
"These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness,"
Literally, These things say the Amen, the faithful witness, the true One. The term 'Amen' is in fact 'the God of the Amen.' This witness is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is from Him personally that we receive the Word of God. "The faithful and true witness; this reveals that the Lord Jesus Christ alone is the One who will reveal all and tell all. This is the day when it is very difficult to hear the truth. We certainly don't get it through the news media or from the government. Both our educational institutions and the military are great brainwashing institutions. Whom can you believe? Well, there is One who is the faithful and true witness even in the days of apostasy. You cannot believe the church in many instances today; the liberal church has no message for this hour" (McGee).
"The beginning of the creation of God."
Christ is the originating source through which God created this universe. Christ is co-eternal with His Father, and God created all things in and through His Son (John 1:3). Jesus Christ is the Creator of this universe, and He is the Creator of the Church.
Verse 15, "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot."
LGT "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I would cold you were or hot."
The Lord does not have one thing in which to commend this assembly. To all the other assemblies Christ had a word of commendation for them. The Lord is saying that He could deal with this assembly if they were either hot or cold, but because they were neither, they were playing church. They were pretending to be something they were not.
Verse 16, "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth."
LGT "Thus because you are lukewarm neither hot nor cold, I am about to vomit you out of My mouth."
"So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,"
This description of this Laodicean church is that it is lukewarm gr. chliaros meaning 'to become warm.' To be lukewarm is not quite warm, that is, tepid [halfhearted]. The hot church would be the church that was learning Bible doctrine and applying it. The cold church would be the church that has nothing to do with Bible doctrine. The lukewarm church is an assembly that pretend to teach and obey the Word of God, but in reality they are just pretenders. There is a church here in Garden Grove [the Crystal Cathedral] that is a prime example of this lukewarm church. They go through the motions of a church; they sing some fine Christian Hymns; they take up a collection; they have prayer; but they only preach a social gospel, that is, how to get along with your fellow man, and how to be successful in business, and how to feel good about yourself, and they teach all the drivel Norman Vincent Peal taught. These spiritual morons are simply going through the motions; they have a form of godliness. But they deny the power thereof (2 Tim. 3:5). I point out that many are saved, but just not willing to let the Spirit control their lives.
"I will spue thee out of My mouth."
Literally, I am about to vomit you out of My mouth. The Lord says that He is on the point of vomiting them out. The Greek word for 'spue' is emesai, which means to vomit out, that is, to reject with extreme disgust. "As lukewarm water turns the stomach, and provokes to a vomit, lukewarm professors turn the heart of Christ against them. He is sick of them, and cannot long bear them. They may call their lukewarmness charity, moderation, and a largeness of soul: it is nauseous to Christ, and makes those so that allow themselves in it" (Matthew Henry)
In this last quote from Matthew Henry I had to take out the part of final rejection, because Christ is not rejecting them, they are rejecting Christ. After a lengthy conversation with my daughter Brenda, she brought it to my attention that this could not possibly be referring to Christ rejecting this church, but that they were living out of fellowship. I have been brought up thinking this was a lost assembly; however, many of them were lost, and in the Laodicean church today, many are lost, and many are simply living carnal lives. Theime points out that the spewing out of the mouth is the believer's sin unto death (I am not sure I can concur with this point). I believe Christ is simply making an illustration of His extreme disgust.
Verse 17, "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."
LGT "Because you say I am rich and have gotten riches and I have need of nothing, and do not know that you are the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind and naked."
"Because thou sayest, I am rich,"
"Laodicea was a wealthy city and the church 'carried the pride of wealth into its spiritual life" (Robertson).
"And increased with goods,"
Literally, and have gotten riches. Most people get rich by their cunning and their will, or desire. This church was overrun with prosperous people who were rich with this world's goods, but they were destitute of God's grace. There was a T.V. show back a few years ago called 'Lives of the Rich and Famous', and it was hosted by a obnoxious 'boot licker' named Robin Leach. On this program, if you are not familiar with it, this slobbering Leach would take the audience by way of the T.V. camera into the homes and yachts etc., of the rich and famous of society and attempt to dazzle everyone into thinking this is real living. The big drawback is that no matter how a person tries to think that if they only had riches they would be happy, they realize in the final analysis that riches cannot, and have not, made people happy, even back in Laodicea. There is another point in this 'riches equal happiness or blessedness' is that most of the religious programs on T.V. are made up of phonies who teach that spirituality and material wealth are brothers. If we ever get to think that because we have wealth God is blessing us, we are in deep do-do. If God blesses us with material things we are to share them with those who have-not. This isn't my idea, it is in the Word of God; read John's Epistles.
"And knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked."
Here the Lord Jesus makes the contrast between material wealth and spiritual wealth. The Lord did not choose the rich and famous when He chose His disciples. "When Jesus Christ chose His disciples, He didn't choose Olympic champs or Roman senators. He chose simple people like you. Some were fisherman, one was a political extremist, and another was a publican, a nobody in that society. But these men turned the Roman world upside down for Christ. How did they do it? Through their popularity? They had none. Their position? They had none. Their power was the power of Christ through the Holy Spirit" (McGee).
"Note the five superlatives the Lord uses to describe their spiritual poverty; (1) you are wretched in the Greek has the article ho talaipatros, which is better translated 'the wretched one.' The meaning of the word is wretched, and afflicted. (2) You are miserable. The word in the Greek is eleeinos, and it means 'an object of pity', that is, pitiable. (3) You are poor. This word in Greek is ptochos, meaning 'reduced to begging.' Metaphorically [symbolically] it means 'to be spiritually poor.' (4) You are blind. This word in Greek is tuphlos meaning 'unable to see at all' that is, total blindness. They were spiritually, totally blind. (5) You are naked. This word in Greek is gumnos meaning 'destitute of proper clothing.' The symbolic significance is they were without spiritual clothing, that is, the armor of God, the 'Word of God'. This last figure of nakedness "completes the picture of their actual spiritual poverty" (Robertson).
Verse 18, "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 eye-salve, that thou mayest see."
LGT "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire in order that you might be rich, and garments white that you may be clothed and not manifest the shame of your nakedness, and anoint your eyes with eye-salve in order that you may see."
"I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire,"
The Lord begins by saying I counsel thee. He is speaking to a group that believe they have everything they need. Jesus Christ is offering them a way to have unbroken fellowship through God's grace; Ho, every one that thirsts, come to the waters, and he that hath no money; come, buy wine and milk without money and without price (Isaiah 50:1). "Those who think themselves rich, and have just been called beggars by the Lord, are advised by Him to buy. The irony [sarcasm], however, covers a sincere and gracious invitation. The goods of Christ are freely given, yet they have their price - renunciation of self and of the world" (Vincent). Jesus Christ has already purchased their salvation with His own precious blood, so now He is admonishing them to study the Word of God, which has already been proven [not that it need be].
"That thou mayest be rich;"
The riches the Lord is speaking of here are the riches of His grace that He has already purchased for every believer at the cost of His very life's blood on Calvary. Every believer receives every divine grace the moment he or she accepts the Lord as Savior. "This group at Laodicea had their minds filled with their own importance, and now the Lord is offering them true riches, gold refined by fire, Bible doctrine" (Theime).
"And white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed,"
The Lord is referring to the last verse where He said they were naked indeed. The Lord is offering to cloth them with His garments, that is, His own righteousness, For [God] hath made Him [Christ], who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21).
"And that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear;"
The fact that they were out of fellowship revealed their nakedness, and Theime points out that they need to rebound (! John 1:9).
"And anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see."
"They were blind; and He counsels them to buy of Him eye-salve, that they might see, to give up their own wisdom and reason, which are but blindness in the things of God, and resign themselves to His Word and Spirit, and their eyes shall be opened to see their way and their end, their duty and their true interest; a new and glorious scene would then open itself to their souls; a new world furnished with the most beautiful and excellent objects, and this light would be marvelous to those who were but just now delivered from the powers of darkness. This is the wise and good counsel Christ gives to careless souls; and, if they follow it, He will judge Himself bound to honor to make it effectual" (Matthew Henry). (This can only be accomplished through Bible doctrine)
Verse 19, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."
LGT "As many as I love I rebuke and discipline: keep on being hot therefore and repent."
"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten:"
The Lord is saying these hard words I have spoken to you are words for your correction because I love the one who hears them, and learns from them. Paul said the same thing in Hebrews 12:6, For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.
"Be zealous therefore, and repent."
The word 'zealous' is zeleue from zelos, meaning 'to boil.' So the phrase is literally, keep on being hot, in opposition to their lukewarm condition. The next phrase 'and repent' is the mechanics of 1 John 1:9, that is, confess your sins, and change your mind about Bible doctrine.
"This is His last message to the church. He says, Be zealous. Be hot. Get on fire for God. He is ordering this church to forsake its lukewarm state, and He says, Repent. This church needs repentance more than all the others. And the message of repentance is for the contemporary church, but you will not be popular if you preach that, I can assure you. It is not too late even for those in this church to turn to Christ: As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent" (T. T. B. J. Vernon McGee).
Verse 20, "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."
LGT "Behold I am standing at the door [and keep on standing at the door], and I knock: if any one hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with Me."
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock:"
The phrase 'I stand at the door' in Greek is hesteka epi ten thuran, it is a perfect tense meaning, 'I am standing there now, and I continue to stand there. What a picture of the longsuffering patience of the Lord Jesus Christ, The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). [I use this verse only to demonstrate Christ's longsuffering patience]
If any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him,"
Christ not only knocks, but He speaks. "The voice very often will interpret and make intelligible the purpose of the knock" (Trench). The Lord is seeking fellowship with this assembly, and every assembly; this epistle can apply to any in the body of Christ who strays from His fellowship and protection. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, who is grieved whenever we depart from His loving kindness to try and handle things on our own, independently of Him.
"And will sup with him, and he with Me."
This phrase speaks of our fellowship with the Lord in His Word, for He is the Bread of Life. The Lord desires fellowship with His family, and it will be consummated at the marriage supper of the lamb.
Verse 21, "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."
LGT "The one who overcomes I will give to him to sit with Me in My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father in His throne."
"To him who overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne,"
As we have mentioned before, every believer is an overcomer by the Blood of the Lamb. We don't overcome but we are overcomers, because Jesus Christ has overcome in our behalf. We all will be with the Lord for eternity, for we are His bride and He is our Bridegroom, and where He is, we will be also.
"Even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne."
"The Lord Jesus is preparing us for the next scene that will be coming up when He says this. This is the picture that we are going to see in the chapters which follow" (McGee).
Verse 22, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
LGT "The one who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies."
This takes in just about everybody, however, it is the free will that is appealed to.
This brings chapters 1-3 to a close. We will not be hearing anymore about the church until the final appeal at the end of the Book. The emphasis now turns to God's dealing with Israel.
"All is closed up with the general demand of attention (vs. 22), putting all to whom these epistles shall come in mind that what is contained in them is not of private interpretation, not intended for instruction, reproof, and correction of those particular churches only, but of all the churches of Christ in all ages and parts of the world: and as there will be a resemblance in all succeeding churches to these, both in their graces and sins, so they may expect that God will deal with them as He dealt with these, which are patterns to all ages what faithful, and fruitful churches may expect to receive from God, and what those who are unfaithful may expect to suffer from His hand; yea, that God's dealing with His churches may afford useful instruction to the rest of the world, to put them upon considering, If judgment begin at the house of God, what shall the end of those be that do not obey the Gospel of Christ? (1 Peter 4:17). Thus ends the message of Christ to the Asian churches, the epistolary part of this book. We now come to the prophetical part" (Matthew Henry).
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