REVELATION CHAPTER THREE

I) EXCERPT FROM REVELATION CHAPTER TWO

or go to Rev Chapter Three

6 cont.) [(Rev 2:18-29) Commentary On Rev 2:18-29 by Biblestudymanuals, (cont.)]:

(Rev 2:26 NASB) " 'He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; 

(Rev 2:27 NASB) AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father;

(Rev 2:28 NASB) and I will give him the morning star.

(Rev 2:29 NASB) 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' "

[These verses offer no clear explanation of their meaning. They are said to refer to participation in the Rapture of the church before the dark hours preceding the dawn of the millennial kingdom - but all Christians faithful to unfaithful will participate in the Rapture dead and alive . It is more feasible that the Morning Star is Christ Himself in the sense that those believers who overcome by keeping His deeds until the end of their mortal lives are to be given a greater reward of sharing all the more in Christ to become even more of a part of His body because of that faithfulness in the sense of becoming partners with Him in His rulership of the universe. So they are to exist in Him and of Him and for Him for all eternity all the more. No grander future than that for the faithful believer. And the beginning and the end of that faithfulness is clearly presented in Rev 2:29: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."]

m) [Compare 2 Pet 1:19]:

"And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts."

n) [Compare Rev 22:16]:

(Rev 22:16 NASB) "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you of these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star."

o) [(Rev 2:28-29) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 2:28-29]:

(Rev 2:28 NASB) "and I will give him the morning star.

(Rev 2:29 NASB) 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' "

"28 Second, the overcomers in Thyatira are promised "the morning star" (astera ton proinon). Some link this expression to Christ himself as in 22:16. Believers would then receive Christ as their very life. Or it may refer to the Resurrection in the sense that the morning star rises over the darkness of this world's persecution and offers victory over it. Perhaps a combination of the two thoughts may be intended. The promise of Christ's return is like the "morning star [phosphoros]" (2 Peter 1:19). (See 22:16, where Jesus calls himself "the bright Morning Star" [ho aster ho lampros ho proinos], in apparent reference to His return.)

29 In this fourth letter and in the three that follow it, the general exhortation comes at the very end; in the first three letters, however, it precedes the promise (cf. comments at introduction to the seven letters."

p) [(Rev 2:28-29) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 2:28-29]:

(Rev 2:28 NASB) "and I will give him the morning star.

(Rev 2:29 NASB) 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' "

2:28. In addition, the faithful will receive the morning star, which appears just before the dawn. The Scriptures do not explain this expression, but it may refer to participation in the Rapture of the church before the dark hours preceding the dawn of the millennial kingdom.

2:29. The letter to Thyatira closes with the familiar exhortation to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Unlike the earlier letters, this exhortation follows rather than precedes the promise to overcomers, and this order is followed in the letters to the last three churches."

II) [Historical Background To Sardis By Expositor's Bible Commentary]:

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 

(Rev 3:2 NASB) 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 

(Rev 3:3 NASB) 'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 

(Rev 3:4 NASB) 'But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 

(Rev 3:5 NASB) 'He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 

(Rev 3:6 NASB) 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' 

"Sardis was about thirty miles south of Thyatira. Its location commanded the trade of the Aegean Islands and the military road through the important Hermus River valley. Sardis enjoyed prominence as a commercially prosperous and militarily strategic city throughout its history. The city's topography was notable for the acropolis, the temple of Artemis, and the necropolis. The acropolis rose about eight hundred feet above the north section of Sardis and was virtually impregnable because of its rock walls, which were nearly vertical, except on the south side. Formerly the site of the original city, the acropolis became a refuge for the inhabitants in time of siege.

Only twice in the history of Sardis was its fortress ever captured, though attacks on it were frequent. When Cyrus attacked it in the sixth century B.C., a shrewd Persian soldier observed a Sardian descending the southern winding path to retrieve his fallen helmet. Unknown to the soldier, the Persians followed his path back up to the summit and captured the whole city, taking them quite by surprise. There was a similar occurrence when Antiochus attacked Sardis about two hundred years later.

The temple to Artemis (possibly Cybele) equaled in size the famous temple of Artemis in Ephesus. However, the temple at Sardis was never finished.

A third feature of Sardis was the impressive necropolis, or cemetery, of "a thousand hills" (modern Bin Tepe), so named because of the hundreds of burial mounds visible on the skyline some seven miles from Sardis.

Sardis retained its wealth into the first two centuries of the Christian Era. But its political brilliance as the capital city of Asia for Persia lay in the past. Ramsay aptly remarks, "No city of Asia at that time showed such a melancholy contrast between past splendor and present decay as Sardis" (William M. Ramsay, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia [London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1904], p. 375). In A.D. 26, Sardis begged the Roman Senate to grant it the coveted honor of building a temple to Caesar. The distinction, however, went to Smyrna. The luxurious living of the Sardians led to moral decadence. Herodotus (fifth century B.C.) wrote despairingly of Sardis and its people as "the tender-footed Lydians, who can only play on the cithara, strike the guitar, and sell by retail" (William Barclay, Letters to the Seven Churches [New York: Abingdon, 1957], p. 71). Sardis was a city of peace, not the peace won through battle, but "the peace of the man whose dreams are dead and whose mind is asleep, the peace of lethargy and evasion" (ibid., p. 72). A great wool industry flourished at Sardis, and this may account for Christ's reference to clothing (v. 4)."

III) [(Rev 3:1-6]:

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "The angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
(Rev 3:2 NASB) 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.
(Rev 3:3 NASB) 'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.
(Rev 3:4 NASB) 'But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
(Rev 3:5 NASB) 'He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
(Rev 3:6 NASB) 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' "

A) [(Rev 3:1-6) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:1-6]:

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead."

1) [Background on Sardis from Expositor's Bible Commentary]:

"Sardis was about thirty miles south of Thyatira. Its location commanded the trade of the Aegean Islands and the military road through the important Hermus River valley. Sardis enjoyed prominence as a commercially prosperous and militarily strategic city throughout its history. The city's topography was notable for the acropolis, the temple of Artemis, and the necropolis. The acropolis rose about eight hundred feet above the north section of Sardis and was virtually impregnable because of its rock walls, which were nearly vertical, except on the south side. Formerly the site of the original city, the acropolis became a refuge for the inhabitants in time of siege.

Only twice in the history of Sardis was its fortress ever captured, though attacks on it were frequent. When Cyrus attacked it in the sixth century B.C., a shrewd Persian soldier observed a Sardian descending the southern winding path to retrieve his fallen helmet. Unknown to the soldier, the Persians followed his path back up to the summit and captured the whole city, taking them quite by surprise. There was a similar occurrence when Antiochus attacked Sardis about two hundred years later.

The temple to Artemis (possibly Cybele) equaled in size the famous temple of Artemis in Ephesus. However, the temple at Sardis was never finished.

A third feature of Sardis was the impressive necropolis, or cemetery, of "a thousand hills" (modern Bin Tepe), so named because of the hundreds of burial mounds visible on the skyline some seven miles from Sardis.

Sardis retained its wealth into the first two centuries of the Christian Era. But its political brilliance as the capital city of Asia for Persia lay in the past. Ramsay aptly remarks, "No city of Asia at that time showed such a melancholy contrast between past splendor and present decay as Sardis" (William M. Ramsay, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia [London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1904], p. 375). In A.D. 26, Sardis begged the Roman Senate to grant it the coveted honor of building a temple to Caesar. The distinction, however, went to Smyrna. The luxurious living of the Sardians led to moral decadence. Herodotus (fifth century B.C.) wrote despairingly of Sardis and its people as "the tender-footed Lydians, who can only play on the cithara, strike the guitar, and sell by retail" (William Barclay, Letters to the Seven Churches [New York: Abingdon, 1957], p. 71). Sardis was a city of peace, not the peace won through battle, but "the peace of the man whose dreams are dead and whose mind is asleep, the peace of lethargy and evasion" (ibid., p. 72). A great wool industry flourished at Sardis, and this may account for Christ's reference to clothing (v. 4)."

A cont.) [(Rev 3:1-6) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:1-6, (cont.)]:

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead."

[The speaker identifies himself as "Him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars" (cf. comments on 1:4 and on 1:16, on 20; and on 2:1.) So Jesus told John to write: "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars,  [meaning Himself]. So Jesus conveys to the readers - first and foremost, to the believers at Sardis - that He knows their deeds, "that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead" in the sense of their having an inactive faith, albeit they are nevertheless saved unto eternal life.

The speaker identifies himself as "Him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars" (cf. comments on 1:4 and on 1:16, on 20; and on 2:1

1) [Compare Rev 1:4]:

(Rev 1:4 NASB)  '''John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, '''

The phrase "and from the seven Spirits Who are before His throne" refers to God the Holy Spirit - as is referenced elsewhere in Scripture in an unusual way, i.e, relative to seven ways in which God the Holy Spirit manifested / functioned in the world: (cf. Isa 11:2-3; Rev 3:1; 4:5; 5:6):

a) [Compare Isa 11:2-3]:

(Isa 11:2 NASB) "The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

(Isa 11:3 NASB) And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;"

So in view we have the seven manifestations of the Spirit of God: as the Spirit of the Lord, as the Spirit of wisdom, as the Spirit of understanding, as the Spirit of counsel, as the Spirit of strength, as the Spirit of knowledge and as the Spirit of the fear / godly respect of the Lord.

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead."

The One Who has in the sense of possesses the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, i.e., the seven churches can only be God, the Son of God Jesus Christ - the author Who inspired John to write the letter of the Revelation beginning and containing the letters / messages to the seven churches: the seven stars.

c) [Compare Revelation 4:5]:
(Rev 4:5 NASB) "Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;" in the sense of representing the seven Spirits of God.

f) [(Rev 3:1) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:1]:

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead."

"1 The speaker identifies himself as "him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars" (cf. comments on 1:4 and on 1:16, on 20; and on 2:1). To the Sardians, Christ reveals himself as the one who controls the seven spirits of God. If the Sardian church is strong, it is because Christ has sent his Spirit to encourage and quicken the Sardian believers; if they are dead like Sardis, it is because in judgment he has withdrawn his Spirit from them.

[Biblestudymanuals: Untrue. God will never withdraw His Spirit from a believer regardless of his behavior whether their faith is dead or not .]

Yet the faithful minority at Sardis (v. 4) can count on that divine power of Christ to sustain, give life, and mobilize them to do his will even though the majority are dead. (On the "seven stars," cf. comments at 2:1.)

[Biblestudymanuals: You go too far here. We are not speaking of loss of salvation because someone has a dead / inactive faith. Know anyone who has never had moments of not being faithful enough? None of the believers is without sin for even a moment in this temporal life:

g) [Compare 1 Jn 1:8]:

(1 Jn 1:8 NASB) "If we [should] say that we have no sin, we [deceive] ourselves and the truth is not in us"]

The speaker's knowledge of the church in Sardis reveals their true condition. He knows their "deeds." It is not clear whether this alludes to their past accomplishments, which gave them their reputation of being alive, or whether the reference is to their present deeds, which were not those Christ sought from them. This latter view is supported by v. 2, where he mentions their deeds again and says they are incomplete. He also knows that though they claim to be a healthy Christian church, in reality they are "dead."

[Biblestudymanuals: their faith is dead = inactive, but they nevertheless got saved by that first moment of faith alone in Christ alone + nothing . They are children of God forever but for the moment they are not being faithful.]

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead."

"1. Destination (3:1a)

3:1a. The important commercial city of Sardis was located about 30 miles southeast of Thyatira, on an important trade route that ran east and west through the kingdom of Lydia. Important industries included jewelry, dye, and textiles, which had made the city wealthy. From a religious standpoint it was a center of pagan worship and site of a temple of Artemis, which ruins still remain (cf. comments on 2:1 regarding another temple of Artemis). Only a small village called Sart remains on the site of this once-important city. Archeologists have located the ruins of a Christian church building next to the temple. In addressing the message to the church Christ described Himself as the One Who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars, similar to the description in 1:4. Here Christ said He holds them, speaking of the Holy Spirit in relation to Himself (Isa. 11:2-5; cf. Rev. 5:6). As in 1:20 the seven stars, representing the pastors of the churches, were also in His hands (cf. 2:1).

[Biblestudymanuals: Note that the Greek word rendered "angels" in Rev 1:20 may well be understood as messengers to the churches in the sense of pastors who are message givers to the churches and since the seven letters are messages to be delivered to those churches]

2. Commendation (3:1b)

3:1b. The only word of approval is in actuality a word of rebuke as Christ declared that they had a reputation for being alive and apparently were regarded by their contemporaries as an effective church.

3. Rebuke (3:1c, 2b)

). Christ added, I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of My God. They were falling far short of fulfilling their obligations as believers."

[Biblestudymanuals: The believers were indeed falling far short of fulfilling their obligations as believers. But that does not make them lose or never had salvation. One must be careful to understand that once one expresses a moment of faith alone in Christ alone one immediately and forever becomes a born again child of God forever, albeit he may be an unfaithful child of God at times, but he cannot be 'unchilded' any more than a human child can become physically unchilded from his human parents, (Jn 1:12-13), . Furthermore, at the moment of faith alone in Christ alone, the believer is sealed by the Holy Spirit Who is now within his human spirit guaranteeing his eternal redemption / salvation unto eternal life ].

A cont.) [(Rev 3:1-6) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:1-6, (cont.)]:

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead."

(Rev 3:2 NASB) 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.' "

[The Risen Lord said to John to write to the angel [messenger to the church in Sardis, i.e., the pastor / messenger to that church] to convey the message to them at the church: "Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die" in the sense of since their lives were lacking in faithfulness to the Risen Christ more and more as time went by, they would soon be totally devoid of / dead to anything faithful in their lives: hence those deeds of faithfulness were "about to die." The Risen Christ said, "I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God." With the things that remain in the sense of faithfulness were just about to die, i.e., total lack of faithfulness is in danger of happening, it is likely that should that happen that believers might die early as well as a matter of God's discipline]

i) [(Rev 3:1-2) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:1-2]:

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 

(Rev 3:2 NASB) 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.' "

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 

(Rev 3:2 NASB) 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.' "

"3. Rebuke (3:1c, 2b)

3:1c, 2b. Christ quickly stripped away their reputation of being alive by declaring, you are dead. Like the Pharisees, their outer appearance was a facade hiding their lack of life (cf. Matt. 23:27-28). Christ added, I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of My God. They were falling far short of fulfilling their obligations as believers.

4. Exhortation (3:2a, 3)

3:2a, 3. They were exhorted to wake up from their spiritual slumber and to strengthen the few evidences of life they still had. He exhorted them to remember... obey... and repent. He warned them that if they did not heed this exhortation, He would come on them like a thief, that is, suddenly and unexpectedly"

A cont.) [(Rev 3:1-6) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:1-6, (cont.)]:

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 

(Rev 3:2 NASB) 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 

(Rev 3:3 NASB) So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.' " 

[So the risen Lord continues to address those in Sardis who have not completely  departed from the faith, saying, 'So remember what you have received and heard' in the sense of received in instructions in the faith "and keep it, and repent" in the sense of change from not being faithful back to being faithful so as to avoid dying early - a premature death. The Lord continues, 'Therefore [He said] if you do not wake up, [in the sense of if you are no longer alive perhaps due to a premature death due to unfaithfulness, the Lord said "I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you,' to bring you home before your time had you been faithful - the implication being that believers must endeavor constantly to make an effort to continue to be faithful otherwise their shorter lifespan might be a result - there having not endeavored to continue in the faith and live out a maximized lifespan.]                                     

k) [(Rev 3:3) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:3]:

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 

(Rev 3:2 NASB) 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 

(Rev 3:3 NASB) So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.' " 

"3 Like those in Ephesus, the Sardians must remember what they "have received and heard." What they "received" was the apostolic tradition of the gospel; what they "heard" probably were the teachings of the apostles and prophets who brought the gospel to them. Unlike the church at Philadelphia (v. 8), the Sardians were not holding to the word of Christ. For them repentance was the only way out of certain and final death. So they were to repent by restoring the gospel and the apostolic doctrine to its authority over their lives. This would mean they would once more start obeying (tereo, "keep," "watch") the truth of Christ's word. Today's church needs to hear this challenge to take the word of Christ seriously. Unless the church at Sardis repents, Christ says that he will come to them in judgment "as a thief "—i.e., by surprise—just as Sardis had been attacked and defeated by Cyrus long before. "As a thief" should probably not be taken as referring to the Second Coming but to Christ's coming against them (opposing them) in judgment (cf. his threat to the church in Ephesus in 2:5)."

l) [(Rev 3:3) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 3:3]:

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 

(Rev 3:2 NASB) 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 

(Rev 3:3 NASB) So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.' " 

3. Rebuke (3:1c, 2b)

"3:1c, 2b. Christ quickly stripped away their reputation of being alive by declaring, you are dead. Like the Pharisees, their outer appearance was a facade hiding their lack of life (cf. Matt. 23:27-28). Christ added, I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of My God. They were falling far short of fulfilling their obligations as believers.

4. Exhortation (3:2a, 3)

A cont.) [(Rev 3:1-6) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:1-6, (cont.)]:

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 

(Rev 3:2 NASB) 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 

(Rev 3:3 NASB) 'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 

(Rev 3:2 NASB) 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 

(Rev 3:3 NASB) 'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 

"4 While the majority had departed from faithful obedience to Christ, a few at Sardis remained true. Here an allusion to the wool industry at Sardis intensifies the image of soiled and defiled garments. Those with soiled garments were removed from the public lists of citizens in Sardis. In the pagan religions it was forbidden to approach the gods in garments that were soiled or stained (Barclay, Seven Churches, p. 77). Soiling seems to be a symbol for mingling with pagan life and thus defiling the purity of one's relation to Christ (14:4; 1Cor 8:7; 2Cor 7:1; 11:2; Jude 23). To "walk with Christ" symbolizes salvation and fellowship with him—something the others at Sardis had forfeited through their sin (1 John 1:6-7).

[Biblestudymanuals: This is not true. One cannot forfeit ones salvation through sinful behavior. Salvation unto eternal life is forever received through a moment of faith alone in Christ alone - perfect tense - not of yourselves - no matter how despicable one can be; it is a gift of God, not by works . The passage in 1 John chapter does not say if believers lead sinful lives they forfeit their salvation, only that they are out of fellowship with God while they continue in sin, which can be remedied by confession until they sin again ]

"White" garments are symbolic of the righteousness, victory, and glory of God (3:18; 6:11; 7:9, 13f.; 19:14). As Caird (p. 49) observes, this passage shows that not all faithful Christians were martyrs, nor can we make emperor worship the sole source of the problems of the early Christians. Ironically, the Sardians were occupied with their outward appearance, but they were not concerned with inner purity toward Christ and their outward moral life in a pagan society."

n) [(Rev 3:4) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 3:4]:

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 

(Rev 3:2 NASB) 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 

(Rev 3:3 NASB) 'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 

"3:4-6. While this church as a whole was dead or dying, Christ recognized a godly remnant in the Sardis church who had not soiled their clothes with sin. He promised that true believers will be dressed in white (cf. v. 18), symbolic of the righteousness of God, that their names will remain in the book of life, and that He will acknowledge them as His own before His Father and His angels."

A cont.) [(Rev 3:1-6) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:1-6, (cont.)]:

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 

(Rev 3:2 NASB) 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 

(Rev 3:3 NASB) 'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 

A litotes = an emphatic affirmative idea expressed by the emphatic negation of its opposite. So the opposite is not being affirmed, such as stating one who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death. ]

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 

(Rev 3:2 NASB) 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 

(Rev 3:3 NASB) 'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 

"Notice that in the first two verses the believer's works in Sardis have not been found to be perfect before God. If this passage is about receiving eternal life, the requirement is evidently sinless perfection!!!!

[Bob Wilken states, ('The Grace Evangelical Society News', March-April issue, pp1-2)]:

'''Can a believer lose his salvation or be erased from the Book of Life if he does not overcome (Rev 3:5)? This seems to contradict John 5:24 and Eph 2:8-9 which view everlasting life as a free and secure gift. Or, does it mean that a believer who is truly saved will automatically produce good works and overcome? This seems to contradict Romans 6-7 which views the Christian walk as a struggle and a choice that every believer must make for himself...

The Loss-of-Salvation View

The problem with the loss-of-salvation view is that it clearly contradicts a host of passages. Jesus taught that believers "will never perish" (John 10:28). "shall not come into judgment" (John 5:24). The apostle Paul told the believers at Rome that "neither death nor life...nor things present nor things to come...shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom 8:38-39). To the believers at Ephesus he wrote, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Eph 2:8-9). and to the believers at Thessalonica he said that "whether we wake or sleep [i.e., whether we are morally alert or indolent], we should live together with Him" (1 Thess 5:10).

The Overcoming-Equals-Faithful-Obedience View

According to this view all genuine believers overcome the world by living godly lives. One author writes: "John was so confident of the ultimate triumph of faith over sin that he had a special name for the believer: 'the one who overcomes' (1 John 5:5; Rev 2:7, 11, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 21:7)." Notice that he equates overcoming with "the ultimate triumph of faith over sin." Based on the context of these remarks, it is clear the author is referring to some ultimate triumph of faith over sin in this life."

According to what has come to be called the Reformed Doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints, all true believers persevere in a life of godliness. While there may be temporary setbacks and bouts with sin, believers are people who live victorious, holy lives to the end. People who hold the overcoming-equals-faithful-obedience interpretation of our verse understand it in light of that doctrine.

[Biblestudymanuals: Scripture says no one but Jesus Christ has even a moment of being without sin:

(1 Jn 1:8 NASB) "If we [believers] [should] say that we have no sin, we [deceive] ourselves and the truth is not in us."]

There is a major problem with this interpretation. The Bible does not promise that all true believers will live victorious, holy lives. Believers may have more than temporary setbacks and bouts with sin. It is sadly possible for believers to backslide terribly and to remain in that backslidden state until death. Certainly the church at Corinth was hardly a picture of believers experiencing ultimate victory over sin in their lives (cf. 1 Cor 3:1-3; 11:30; see also Gal 6:1-5; Jas 5:19-20; and 1 John 5:16)!

I'm not saying that eternal security is not true. As already shown above, it is. What I am saying is that there is no guarantee in Scripture that eternally secure people will live overcoming, victorious lives here and now. Believers can fail.

The Overcoming-Equals-Faith View

There is a variation of the view just discussed which recognizes the possibility of failure in the Christian life. The overcoming-equals-faith view suggests that faith - not faithfulness - is the victory. All believers are overcomers the moment they believe. The very act of believing overcomes the world: 'Who is he who overvomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?' (cf John 5:5)...

The Eternal-Rewards View

[The expression in the Bible of overcoming is also used in another way in other passages - not referring to salvation but to rewards in heaven:

[Rev 2:5, 7b, 10-11]:

(v. 2:5a) "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works...

(v. 2:7b) To him who overcomes I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

(v. 2:10) Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

(v. 2:11) He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.

[Verse 2:11 is a litotes = an emphatic affirmative idea expressed by the negation of its opposite. So the opposite is not being affirmed, that one who does not overcome will be hurt by the second death. ]

(v. 2:26) And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I give power over the nations.

(v. 3:11) Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown

(v. 3:21) 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"]

According to this view, genuine believers are in view and their salvation is not in question. Admittedly, some suggest that since churches sometimes contain unbelievers, then these seven letters may have been addressed to both believers and unbelievers. However, in a biblical sense churches never contain unbelievers. Churches are not buildings or social gatherings. Churches are assemblies of believers. Since the Lord was writing to churches, He was writing exclusively to believers.

This is supported by the fact that in none of the seven letters do we find a Gospel appeal...

[Revelation 3:20 is not a Gospel appeal. It is addressed to Christians and is inviting them to have fellowship with Christ. The figure of opening the door is an illustration of the preceding verse. To 'open the door' we must 'be zealous and repent' That is, we must be zealous for good works and repent of our sinful attitudes and actions (cf. 3:15-18).]

...The word faith only occurs twice in these letters (Rev 2:13, 19) and in both cases it is affirming the fact that the readers already have faith, not calling them to believe. Surely if these seven letters were addressed to unbelievers, we would find repeated calls to trust in Christ. Instead, we find none.

There are several lines of evidence from the text of Rev 3:3-5 which support the eternal-rewards interpretation.

[Rev 3:3-5]:

(v. 3) " 'Remember therefore what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. If therefore you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you.

(v. 4) But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white; for they are worthy.

(v. 5) He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels."

"I will come upon you as a thief" = ]

...Verse 3 is a warning: 'If you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know the hour I will come upon you.' Calls to watchfulness in light of the Lord's imminent return as a thief are found in several other places in the NT. Salvation isn't in view in any of those places. Rather, they deal with the prospect of eternal rewards...

[Compare Mt 24:45-51; 25:1-13; and 1 Pet 5:1-11]

...In 1 Thess 5:10, a context dealing with Christ's return 'as a thief in the night' (5:2), Paul wrote '[Christ] died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.' In context 'waking' was used metaphorically to mean walking in the light, being sober, faithful, and loving.

["waking" = "gregoreo" same word translated as "watch" in Rev 3:3 & 1 Thess 5:6]

On the other hand, 'sleeping' meant to walk in the darkness, to be drunk, unfaithful, and unloving (1 Thess 5:4-8). [Compare Eph 5:1-17 esp. v.14] Paul was saying that all believers will be raptured, whether they are morally alert or asleep, when Christ returns for them. The believer who is morally asleep when Christ returns is not overcoming. Yet he will live together with Him as well!..."

"They are worthy" =

[Bob Wilken, cont.]:

"Verse 4 reads, '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." The worthiness here is linked to the fact that these were believers 'who have not defiled their garments.' Clearly Jesus isn't praising them for using Tide on their togs! That is a figurative way of saying that there were a few who had not walked in disobedience. Compare Rev 22:14 and Jas 1:27 and Jude 23.

Walking with Christ in white garments must be seen as a reward. Otherwise Christ is teaching salvation by works here! We know from Jesus' teachings and from the entire Bible that no one but Christ is worthy to be in God's kingdom because of his or her deeds. We are only worthy to enter God's kingdom because we have trusted in the Worthy One. This is compelling proof that the issue here is not salvation, but rewards."

"He shall be clothed in white garments." =

[Bob Wilken, cont.]:

Verse 5 refers again to being clothed in white. The Lord makes it clear that the person in question is an overcomer. While some assume that all Christians will wear these white garments in the kingdom, this verse suggests that only overcoming believers, those who haven't defiled their garments (v. 4), will wear these garments in the kingdom.

This verse suggests that believers will not be clothed identically in the kingdom. Some will wear special white garments. These special garments will signify that the wearer is one who honored Christ until the end of his or her Christian experience.

Peter, James, and John caught a glimpse of what these glorious garments will be like. When Jesus was transfigured before them, 'His face shown like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light' (Matt 17:2). It may well be that the brightness of an overcomer's clothes will be proportional to how Christlike he or she was in this life (cf. 1 Pet 4:13).

"I will confess His Name" =

This is rewards language. Jesus will acknowledge faithful believers before the Father and before His angels. Compare Matt 10:32-33 and Luke 19:11-19. He will say 'Well done, good servant' (Luke 19:17). This is a reward that faithful believers will receive. It is not a condition of entrance into the kingdom...

"I won't blot out his name.." =

[Dr Wilken, cont.]

"Several things should be observed in relation to this expression. First, whatever it means, it can't contradict other Scripture or the clear meaning of the rest of the passage and of other Scripture.

Second, many read it as though it says, 'He who doesn't overcome I will blot out his name...' It doesn't say that. It is important to note that this verse doesn't say anything about the fate of those who don't overcome. It certainly doesn't say that God will blot the non-overcomer's name out of the Book of Life. The focus here is on the overcomer, not on the non-overcomer.

If I said, 'All fathers are men,' that wouldn't mean that the opposite is true, that all men are fathers. There are men who aren't fathers. In the same way, the corollary to out verse is not true. God will not blot out the name of the non-overcoming believer from the Book of Life!

Once a person has spiritual life, it can never be taken away (cf John 10:28-29; 1 John 5:12).

Third, there is a well-established figure of speech called litotes or understatement. In this figure of speech a positive point is made by denying its opposite. For example, imagine that a loving, committed mother said to her teenage son, 'If you mow the yard today, I won't send you to bed without dinner.' Let's assume that the mother had previously guaranteed him that she would never send him to bed without supper. He would thus know that even if he didn't mow the yard, he would get dinner. His mom was promising him a special meal if he mowed the yard.

So, too, when the Lord says that He won't blot the name of the overcoming believer from the Book of Life, He means that He will give the overcomer a special fullness of life forever.

We know some of what this superlative experience will include: wearing special white garments (Rev 3:4-5), ruling with Christ (Rev 2:26-27; 3:21), eating the fruit of the tree of life (Rev 2:7), eating hidden manna (Rev 2:17), and receiving a white stone engraved with your own special name that only the Lord and you will know (Rev 2:17). None of these things is equivalent to eternal salvation. None of these things is required for kingdom entrance. These are all rewards awaiting the overcoming believer.

We don't know all that is in store for the overcoming believer. But from what we are told in the seven letters, we know that it will be something no one will want to miss. William Fuller, who defends this understanding of Rev 3:5, writes, 'A command that everyone keeps is superfluous, and a reward that everyone receives for a virtue that everyone has is nonsense." The eternal-rewards interpretation takes the command seriously, views the reward as a powerful motivation to obedience, and doesn't distort the Gospel!

Conclusion

The Lord Jesus Christ wants every believer to overcome the world by living a faithful Christian life until He returns or until death. He promises special rewards for the Christian who overcomes. Those rewards include a special fullness of life alluded to in the understatement, 'He who overcomes ... I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life.'

Jesus said, 'I came that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly' (John 10:10b). All believers have, and will forever have, life. Only overcoming believers have, and will forever have, life more abundantly. Paul echoed this same theme when he ended his letter to the Galatians with these words: 'And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart' (Gal 6:9)."

p) [(Rev 3:1-6) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:5]:

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 

(Rev 3:2 NASB) 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 

(Rev 3:3 NASB) 'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 

p cont.) [(Rev 3:1-6) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:5, (cont.)]:

1. "Like" the faithful Sardian Christians who would receive white clothes from Christ, the others there who overcame the stains of pagan society would similarly be dressed in white.

2. Furthermore, the pure relationship to Christ is permanently guaranteed: "I will never erase his name from the book of life." In ancient cities the names of citizens were recorded in a register till their death; then their names were erased or marked out of the book of the living. This same idea appears in the  OT (Exod 32:32-33; Ps 69:28; Isa 4:3). 

[Biblestudymanuals:

In Ex 32:31-33 we do not have a reference to the Book of Life. Moses was not asking God to have his name blotted out in order to go to hell. He was asking God to let him die rather than be associated with such an idolatrous people. The Book in view is a kind of census book of Israel in which physical death is a result of being blotted out - which is what occurred, (v. 35; Dt 1:35-36; 2:14), to those in Israel who practiced idolatry. From the idea of being recorded in God's book of the living (or the righteous) comes the sense of belonging to God's eternal kingdom or possessing eternal life (Dan 12:1; Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3; Heb 12:23; Rev 13:8; 17:8; 20:15; 21:27). For Christ to say that he will never blot out or erase the overcomer's name from the book of life is the strongest affirmation that death can never separate us from Christ and his life (Rom 8:38-39). A person enrolled in the book of life by faith remains in it by faithfulness and can be erased only by disloyalty.

In Ps 69:19-28 David implies that all men are initially written in the Book of Life when he asks God to blot his enemies out. David indicates there are some in the Book of Life that are not saved and that blotting them out would mean that they would not go to heaven - a final erasure, not to be written back in.

Isa 4:3 states in the NASB, "And it will come about that the one who is left in Zion [Referring to the city of Jerusalem, in the sense of everyone who survived the destruction, i.e., is left alive after all the destruction during the tribulation period hence everyone who survives] remains behind [alive] in Jerusalem [and] will be called holy [in the sense of a remnant set apart to Christ. So everyone who survives, i.e., is "recorded for life" as having lived through the destruction in Jerusalem [in the sense of the survivors being recorded in a book; but this is not the Book of Life which applies to all of humanity throughout history not just Jerusalem during the Tribulation period].

Furthermore, everyone whoever will lived or has lived was written in the Book of Life before the foundation of the world - obviously before anyone was born . Faithfulness or ongoing faith are not a factor that is required in order to be included or excluded from being written in the Book of Life. Once one believes in Christ one is forever a born again child of God with no chance to become unchilded from God by removing the indwelling Holy Spirit Who is a deposit guaranteeing our eternal inheritance or by any other human doing .]

p cont.) [(Rev 3:1-6) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:5, (cont.)]:

"There is some evidence that a person's name could be removed from the city register before death if he were convicted of a crime. In the first century, Christians who were loyal to Christ were under constant threat of being branded political and social rebels and then stripped of their citizenship. But Christ offers them an eternal, safe citizenship in his everlasting kingdom if they only remain loyal to him."

[Biblestudymanuals: Believers are not required to do anything in order to keep their salvation once they have expressed a moment of faith alone in Christ alone. Thereafter they are eternally secure no matter what . Loyalty is not required in order to have eternal life.

3. Finally, to the overcomer Christ promised to "acknowledge his name before [the] Father and his angels." "Acknowledge" (homologeo) is a strong word for confession before the courts. It is Christ's confession of our name before the Father and his angels (implying our fellowship with him) that assures our heavenly citizenship (Matt 10:32; Luke 12:8)."

[Biblestudymanuals: Fellowship with Christ is NOT a requirement in order to have eternal life]

p cont.) [(Rev 3:1-6) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:5, (cont.)]:

"What ultimately counts, then, is not our acceptance by this world's societies but that our relationship to Christ is genuine and hence will merit his approbation in the coming kingdom."

[Biblestudymanuals: Our relationship with Christ is genuine from the moment of faith alone in Christ alone simply because we believed in Him for eternal life - nothing else. Our behavior is not part of the requirement in order to have eternal life. Eternal life is not a merited operation - it is a gift, (Eph 2:8-9). A moment of faith alone in Christ alone is all that is required - compare Eph 2:8-9 and many other passages: . On the other hand, how children of God born of God conduct themselves will be instrumental in determining the temporal and eternal blessings and rewards they receive in this life and the next ]

A cont.) [(Rev 3:1-6) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:1-6, (cont.)]:

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 

(Rev 3:2 NASB) 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 

(Rev 3:3 NASB) 'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 

"5. Promise (3:4-6)

3:4-6. While this church as a whole was dead or dying, Christ recognized a godly remnant in the Sardis church who had not soiled their clothes with sin. He promised that true believers will be dressed in white (cf. v. 18), symbolic of the righteousness of God, that their names will remain in the book of life, and that He will acknowledge them as His own before His Father and His angels.

The statement that their names will not be erased from the book of life presents a problem to some. But a person who is truly born again remains regenerate, as John said elsewhere (John 5:24; 6:35-37, 39; 10:28-29). While this passage may imply that a name could be erased from the book of life, actually it only gives a positive affirmation that their names will not be erased (cf. Walvoord, Revelation. pp. 82, 338). Six times John referred to the book of life (Rev. 3:5; 13:8 [cf. comments there]; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27).

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 

(Rev 3:9 NASB) 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 

(Rev 3:10 NASB) 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 

(Rev 3:11 NASB) 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 

(Rev 3:12 NASB) 'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and 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 My new name. 

About twenty-five miles southeast of Sardis, along the Hermus River valley, lay the important high plateau city of Philadelphia, modern Alasehir. A main highway that ran through the city connected Smyrna (about a hundred miles due west) to northwest Asia, Phrygia, and the east. Furthermore, the imperial post road of the first century A.D., which came from Rome via Troas, Adramyttium, Pergamum, and Sardis, passed through this valley and Philadelphia on the way to the east. So situated, Philadelphia became a strong fortress city. To the northeast was a great vine-growing district, which, along with textile and leather industries, contributed greatly to the city's prosperity.

Philadelphia was established by the Pergamenian king Attalus II (159-138 B.C.), who had been given the epithet "Philadelphus" ("brother lover") because of his love for his brother. The city was to be a mission city for disseminating Greco-Asiatic culture and language in the eastern part of Lydia and in Phrygia. Its success is attested by the fact that the Lydian language ceased to be spoken in Lydia by A.D. 19 and Greek took over (Ramsay, Seven Churches, p. 391). But beyond this language achievement, Philadelphia had not been successful in converting the Phrygians (Barclay, Seven Churches, p. 80).

According to Strabo, the whole region was earthquake prone (Geography 12.579; 13.628). In A.D. 17 an earthquake that destroyed Sardis and ten other cities also destroyed Philadelphia. Consequently, many people preferred to live in the rural area surrounding the city. The fear of earthquakes caused those who continued to live in the city to leave it at the slightest sign of a tremor.

After the devastating earthquake, Tiberius came to the peoples' aid and had the city rebuilt. In gratitude the citizens renamed it Neocaesarea ("New Caesar"). Later the name was changed to Flavia (A.D. 70-79), and this, along with Philadelphia, continued to be its name through the second and third centuries A.D. Later, the establishment of the emperor cult in the city earned it the title "Neokoros," or "Temple Warden" (c. 211-17). In the fifth century, it was nicknamed "Little Athens" because of its proliferation of festivals and pagan cults. Whether this indicates something of its early period is uncertain. Since wine was one of the city's important industries, some have assumed that the worship of Dionysus was a chief pagan cult in it (Swete, p. 52).

Although nothing is known about the origin of the Philadelphian church, in A.D. 100-160 the church prospered under the ministry of a prophetess named Ammia, who was universally recognized as ranking with Agabus and the four daughters of Philip in her possession of the gift of prophecy (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 5.17.2). Long after all the surrounding country had succumbed to Muslim control under Turkey, Philadelphia held out as a Christian populace till 1392. Even Gibbon admired its fortitude (Ramsay, Seven Churches, p. 400).

B cont.) [(Rev 3:7-13) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:7-13, (cont.)]:

(Rev 3:7 NASB) "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He Who is holy, Who is true, Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one will shut, and Who shuts and no one opens, says this:

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name."

[The Risen Christ commands John to write to the angel / the pastor-messenger of the church in Philadelphia, "He Who is holy [Himself alone], Who is true [Himself alone], Who has the key of David [Himself alone], Who opens and no one will shut [Himself alone], and Who shuts and no one opens [Himself alone], says this:"

So the speaker identifies Himself with these five statements of which He is a unique, sole possessor of: He, Jesus Christ - the true Messiah - is holy - Greek: "hagios" literally set apart. Christ is the only One Who is set apart to Perfect Righteousness - no one else. And the only one Who is true - the only one Who is Absolute Truth. And the only one Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one will shut, and Who shuts and no one opens.

The reference to the "key of David" alludes to Isaiah 22:20-25:

2) [Isa 22:20-25]:
(Isa 22:20 NASB) "Then it will come about in that day, That I will summon My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,

(Isa 22:21 NASB) And I will clothe him with your tunic
And tie your sash securely about him.
I will entrust him with your authority,
And he will become a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.

(Isa 22:22 NASB) Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder,
When he shuts no one will open.

(Isa 22:23 NASB) I will drive him like a peg in a firm place,
And he will become a throne of glory to his father's house.

(Isa 22:24 NASB) So they will hang on him all the glory of his father's house, offspring and issue, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars.

(Isa 22:25 NASB) In that day," declares the LORD of hosts, "the peg driven in a firm place will give way; it will even break off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken."

Isaiah 22:22-25 is part of a prophecy against Jerusalem, often referred to as 'the valley of vision,' - a prophecy about a coming leader, often interpreted as a reference to a future king or ruler who will be given great authority and responsibility symbolized by the phrase "the key to the house of David," but with a warning that even this powerful figure could fall if he does not remain faithful to God. It describes the LORD's plan, His prophecy to give Eliakim the key to the house of David and the authority to manage the resources of Jerusalem. In verse 22 the LORD will give Eliakim the key to the house of David which is the highest position in the royal court. In verse 23 Eliakim will be driven into place like a peg, and will become a seat of honor for his father's house. In verse 24 all the glory of Eliakim's family will be on him, from his offspring to his lesser vessels. In verse 25, the Lord will pull out the peg, and everything it supports will fall with it.

In this passage, the LORD is condemning Shebna, the steward of the king's household, for carving out a lavish tomb for himself instead of serving the king or trusting God. So the LORD gives Shebna's position to Eliakim, who serves as a father figure to the people. However, Eliakim eventually falls away, and all the honor of the king's household goes with him; leaving the key to the house of David to be fulfilled in Someone else.

Shebna's downfall:

The Lord condemns Shebna for prioritizing his own wealth and power by building a lavish tomb, neglecting his duty to the people and God during a time of need instead of serving the king or seeking the Lord. The Lord removes Shebna's authority and position.

Ellakim's elevation

The prophecy then elevates Ellakim, presenting him as a faithful and responsible leader thus there was a transfer of the post of secretary of state in Judah from the unfaithful Shebna to the faithful Eliakim. The word rendered "key" signifies the power of the keys that were normally held by the king himself, unless delegated to another. The use of the name "David" points to Christ as the Messiah, Who alone determines who will participate in His kingdom and who will be turned away: "He opens, no one can shut; ... he shuts, no one can open." This may allude to the false claims of certain Jews at Philadelphia who argued that they, not the heretical Nazarenes, would inherit the kingdom of David (v. 9) and thus excluded the followers of Jesus. But the true Messiah, Jesus, will exclude them!

So each of these identifications calls attention to Jesus as the true Messiah. "Holy and true" relate to God himself and describe aspects of His presence among us (cf. 6:10). Holiness is the attribute of God whereby we sense the presence of the One solely, perfectly wholly set apart to God: Wholly God yet Wholly Man - the One Who says, the Holy One among you" (Hos 11:9) - "Holy" meaning set apart to God. He is the "True One" in that He is wholly trustworthy and reliable in his words and actions. For this congregation for whom Christ has only commendation, these titles would bring encouragement, despite their "little strength" (v. 8) to go on in their faithfulness, in contrast to those described in v. 9.

3) [(Rev 3:7) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:7]:

(Rev 3:7 NASB) "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He Who is holy, Who is true, Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one will shut, and Who shuts and no one opens, says this: "

"7 The letter to the church in Philadelphia begins with the speaker's identifying himself as "him Who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens, no one can shut; and what he shuts, no one can open." Each of these identifications calls attention to Jesus as the true Messiah. "Holy and true" relate to God himself and describe aspects of his presence among us (cf. 6:10). Holiness is the attribute of God whereby we sense the presence of the "Wholly Other," the one Who says, "I am God, and not man—the Holy One among you" (Hos 11:9).

[Biblestudymanuals: Incorrect. God is Holy in the sense of being "set apart" = Greek: "hagios" which means set apart. So God is absolutely Unique unto Himself. There is no one like Him which includes all of His attributes - all of them absolutely and infinitely superior to / infinitely beyond being equal to the attributes of any other. Furthermore, God added to Himself Perfect Humanity in order to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind for all time, (cf. 1 Jn 2:2). So God's being set apart does not exclude His Humanity either!! Albeit His Humanity is not in view in Hos 11:9]

3 cont.) [(Rev 3:7) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:7, (cont.)]:

He is the "True One" in that he is wholly trustworthy and reliable in his words and actions. For this congregation for whom Christ has only commendation, these titles would bring encouragement, despite their "little strength" (v. 8) to go on in their faithfulness, in contrast to those described in v. 9.

The reference to the "key of David" alludes to Isaiah 22:20-25. and the incident of transferring the post of secretary of state in Judah from the unfaithful Shebna to the faithful Eliakim. The "key" signifies the power of the keys that were normally held by the king himself, unless delegated to another. The use of the name "David" points to Christ as the Messiah, Who alone determines who will participate in His kingdom and who will be turned away: "He opens, no one can shut; ... He shuts, no one can open." This may allude to the false claims of certain Jews at Philadelphia who argued that they, not the heretical Nazarenes, would inherit the kingdom of David (v. 9) and thus excluded the followers of Jesus. But the true Messiah, Jesus, will exclude them!"

a) [(Isa 22:20-25) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Isa 22:22-25]:

(Isa 22:20 NASB) "Then it will come about in that day, That I will summon My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,

(Isa 22:21 NASB) And I will clothe him with your tunic
And tie your sash securely about him.
I will entrust him with your authority,
And he will become a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.

(Isa 22:22 NASB) Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder,
When he shuts no one will open.

(Isa 22:23 NASB) I will drive him like a peg in a firm place,
And he will become a throne of glory to his father's house.

(Isa 22:24 NASB) So they will hang on him all the glory of his father's house, offspring and issue, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars.

(Isa 22:25 NASB) In that day," declares the LORD of hosts, "the peg driven in a firm place will give way; it will even break off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken."

"20-23 Shebna had been riding ostentatiously in his chariots and building a splendid grave for himself, seeking in all this the praise of men. How much better to have God's smile of approval and to be described, in a simple but eloquent phrase, as "my servant" (v.20; cf. 20:3; 42:1; 52:13). Eliakim, who is also like Shebna—mentioned in 36:3, 11, 22, and 37:2, was to take over Shebna's office and so to be given his ceremonial robes (v.21). See the comment at 36:3 for a discussion of the relative status of the two men at the time of the events recorded there. The word "father" suggests both his authority over the people of Jerusalem and also the provision he would make for them in virtue of his office. Verse 22 is not intended figuratively but literally, for the steward would have the large master key of the palace fastened to the shoulder of his tunic. This passes into symbol in the NT at Revelation 3:7 (cf. Matt 16:19; 18:18).

The simile of v.23 and the metaphor that follows it have different functions. The first may be a tent peg (though its use changes in vv.24-25), giving stability to the kingdom (cf. 33:20). Through him his whole family would advance in social dignity, promoted, as it were, to a seat closer to the throne at the royal table.
It seems probable that Eliakim had a very different policy from that of Shebna, more in line with Isaiah's counsel to trust in God. If so, then, his advice to the king would help to secure a real and not just an apparent strength to the nation in a time of international insecurity.
24-25 The mood of the oracle changes dramatically. The true honor of "my servant" (v.20) is replaced by a satirical picture that reveals almost as much contempt as that shown toward Shebna in vv.15-19. Shebna's great sin was pride, but Eliakim's was nepotism. There was a legitimate honor that would inevitably come to those related to a family head with a high position in the land. Eliakim had, however, been chosen for office because of his own qualities, not theirs. Isaiah played on the double meaning of the Hebrew word kabod, which is translated "honor" in v.23 and "glory" in v.24. It may also signify weight. The peg is not now seen giving strength to the tent but rather fastened to the wall of the palace kitchen with a motley assortment of kitchen vessels hanging from it, the vessels Zechariah perhaps had in mind in his vision of the elevation of the common for holy use (Zech 14:21). The temptations of high office are many, and those who occupy them need the prayers of God's people.
Notes
1 On ‏מַשָּׂע‎ (massa "oracle"), see the note at 13:1.
6 Kir can hardly be identical with "Kir in Moab" (15:1) but rather with that mentioned in three other verses (Amos 1:5; 9:7; 2 Kings 16:9) in each case in connection with Syria. Its location cannot be established with certainty.
9 The NEB translates, "you filled all the many pools in the City of David" instead of "you saw that the City of David had many breaches in its defenses." The former is based on repainting ‏רְעִיתֶם‎ from reitem ("you saw") to reitem ("you filled"). This involves understanding ‏בְּקִיעֵי‎ (beqie, "breaches") in reference to scooped-out reservoirs. This is quite feasible, but the MT makes good sense, especially as vv.9-10 would then assume an AB-AB pattern, with references to the defenses and the water supply juxtaposed twice. For the topography of vv.9-11, see the note at 7:3.
11 See the note at 7:3.
13 This verse may quote a current proverb. It is itself quoted in 1 Cor 15:32.
15 Shebna is described as "the secretary" in 36:3. The office he has here seems comparable to the Moslem "grand vizier," the Frankish "mayor of the palace," or the former English "chamberlain." The official in charge of the royal buildings and supplies would certainly have considerable and probably increasing power. See H.J. Katzenstein, "The Royal Steward," IEJ 10 (1960.): 149ff."

b) [(Isa 22:20-25) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Isa 22:20-25]:

(Isa 22:20 NASB) "Then it will come about in that day, That I will summon My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,

(Isa 22:21 NASB) And I will clothe him with your tunic
And tie your sash securely about him.
I will entrust him with your authority,
And he will become a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.

(Isa 22:22 NASB) Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder,
When he shuts no one will open.

(Isa 22:23 NASB) I will drive him like a peg in a firm place,
And he will become a throne of glory to his father's house.

(Isa 22:24 NASB) So they will hang on him all the glory of his father's house, offspring and issue, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars.

(Isa 22:25 NASB) In that day," declares the LORD of hosts, "the peg driven in a firm place will give way; it will even break off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken."

"b. Judgment against Shebna (22:15-25)
22:15-19. The reason for this section on judgment (vv. 15-25) is not explicitly stated. Shebna was a high court official, a steward, involved in the negotiations with Sennacherib when he besieged Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:18, 26, 37; 19:2; Isa. 36:3, 11, 22; 37:2). Some think that his position as steward (secretary) of the palace gave him a position second only to the king. Why he was to be deposed from this important position is not stated. Perhaps he opposed Isaiah's message of impending judgment. He apparently shared the attitudes of the Jerusalemites Isaiah had described (22:2, 11-13).
The impiety of Shebna apparently involved his trying to make a permanent name for himself by fashioning a grave, as people did in many of the surrounding nations. Perhaps he thought that by being buried in a prominent grave site (on the height) his name would live on in spite of the current conditions. However, Isaiah prophesied that Shebna, rather than having a permanent resting place, would be demoted and would die in a large foreign country, probably Assyria. There is no record of what happened to him other than the prophecy given here by Isaiah.
22:20-25. Eliakim, the palace administrator and a godly man, would fill Shebna's important position (vv. 20-21). Eliakim also was involved in the negotiations with Sennacherib (2 Kings 18:18, 26, 37; Isa. 36:3, 11, 22; 37:2). He would be a respected leader (like a father to the Judahites) and a faithful administrator who would make wise decisions (22:22). In contrast with Shebna, who was to be cast away, Eliakim was to be like a well-driven peg (v. 23a), a firm foundation for the nation. He would be an honorable person (v. 23b), and would cause his family name to be well known to humble people (figuratively called lesser vessels) and to more influential family members (called bowls and jars). However, Isaiah warned that eventually even this peg would come to an end (v. 25), signifying that eventually the kingdom of Judah would be taken away into captivity."

B cont.) [(Rev 3:7-13) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:7-13, (cont.)]:

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name."

[In Rev 3:8, the Risen Lord Jesus Christ says through the apostle John's writing to the believers in Philadelphia and all believers everywhere and from all ages as applicable in their temporal lives, "I know your deeds," in a the sense of commendation not condemnation. For He said "Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut," implying His supreme sovereignty as God, and implying some kind of ongoing advantageous opportunity for further blessing for faithful believers - evidently in serving Him as they had already been serving Him considering the commendation He gave them. The phrase rendered, "because you have little power" refers to the believers having only a little power under their own auspices. Hence the Risen Lord opened the door which no one can shut - even the enemies of the faithful believers, thus enabling them to enjoy further opportunity to serve Christ faithfully and be further blessed and commended by Him. For the Lord ended His statement to John with, "and [you faithful believers] have kept My word, and have not denied My name," further corroboration of the faithfulness of the believers in Philadelphia and as applicable to those believers who have been faithful]

4) [(Rev 3:8) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:8]:

(Rev 3:7 NASB) "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He Who is holy, Who is true, Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one will shut, and Who shuts and no one opens, says this:

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name."

'''8 Here the knowledge of the speaker and his verdict blend together in untarnished praise as in the letter to Smyrna. Between the declaration "I know your deeds" and the words "you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name" is the somewhat awkward interjection "See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut."

^{Since Christ has absolute authority from the Father, he has opened a door for the Philadelphians that even their enemies cannot close. But an open door to what? Swete (in loc.) sees an inference here to Philadelphia as a missionary city. As the easternmost of the seven cities and an outpost on the high tableland of upper Asia, it was effective in evangelizing the area with Hellenism. So the witness of the church in Philadelphia will be effective despite its small strength (1Cor 16:9; Col 4:3). Others feel that v. 8 refers to Christ's opening the door to his kingdom for those who love him and thus reinforces the statement in v. 7 about opening and shutting.}

^{[Note that entrance into Christ's kingdom is based on faith alone, not faithfulness, cf Eph 2:8-9: "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith and that [salvation] is not of yourselves [it is the] gift of God not by works so that no one can boast ]}

Beckwith protests against the first view: "Such a reference to future missionary activity of the church is singularly out of place, thrust in as a parenthesis between the parts of a sentence concerned with commendation of the church for its steadfastness in the past" (p. 430). The context strongly favors the second view (so Ladd, Commentary on Revelation, in loc.). What became a serious problem at Sardis (v. 3) was not the case with the Philadelphian congregation, to whom the risen Christ said, "You have kept my word." They had been faithful to the Gospel and the apostles' teaching even during the trial of their faith alluded to in the words "and have not denied my name (cf. 2:13).''

5) [(Rev 3:8) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 3:8]:

(Rev 3:7 NASB) "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He Who is holy, Who is true, Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one will shut, and Who shuts and no one opens, says this:

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name."

"2. Commendation (3:8-9)

B cont.) [(Rev 3:7-13) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:7-13, (cont.)]:

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.

(Rev 3:9 NASB) 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie - I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. "

[Now, our Risen Lord moves to the subject of those who serve Satan: "Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan" referring to Jews who actually are affiliated with the synagogue of Satan in the sense of those Jews who reject faith in Christ unto salvation and afflict / persecute the believers in Christ, especially Jewish Christians for believing in Christ the Messiah - those "who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie" in the sense that although they have identified themselves as being under the Mosaic Law and attend the Jewish synagogue and claim to follow the teachings of Judaism and of Abraham their supposed father; they reject the faith of Abraham their father - faith in a coming Descendant / Messiah Savior of Abraham, Jesus Christ and persecute Jews who are of the faith of Abraham and other Christians as well such as Gentile Christians. A true Jew in the view of Jews like John and Paul is one who has found forgiveness and life in Jesus the Messiah, while a false Jew is one who rejects those who believe in Jesus and openly persecutes them; such a one is an antichrist (1 John 2:22). Hence they are described as of the synagogue of Satan. And the Risen Christ states to the faithful believers in Philadelphia, "I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you."]

6) [(Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:9]:

(Rev 3:7 NASB) "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He Who is holy, Who is true, Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one will shut, and Who shuts and no one opens, says this:

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.

(Rev 3:9 NASB) 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie - I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. "

"9 Here those opposing the witness of the congregation are characterized as "those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars." The words are like those spoken to the church in Smyrna (cf. comments on 2:9). A "synagogue of Satan" appears to describe a Jewish element that vehemently denied Jesus as the Messiah and that actively persecuted others who made this claim. A true Jew in the view of Jews like John and Paul is one who has found forgiveness and life in Jesus the Messiah, while a false Jew is one who rejects those who believe in Jesus and openly persecutes them; such a one is an antichrist (1 John 2:22).

In writing to the church in Philadelphia a few years later, Ignatius warned them not to listen to "any one propounding Judaism unto you" (To the Philadelphians 6. l) - a warning that might refer to certain Christians who tried to lead others into Judaism as did the Judaizers of Paul's day (Acts 15:1; Gal 3:4). Perhaps the words "have not denied my name" in v. 8 relate to this. But Christ will make those who have persecuted the followers of Jesus as heretics acknowledge that God is indeed with the church in Philadelphia and that they are not heretics but are God's people.

We catch a glimpse here of the ever-widening gap between Judaism and Christianity toward the end of the first century. The church is the true people of God, loved by Christ, and in some real sense inheritors of the covenant promises in the OT made to the people of God (Isa 43:4; 45:14; 49:23; 60:14). In these OT passages it is the Gentiles, or heathen nations, who bow before Israel and acknowledge that God is with them. In this letter Christ reverses these roles: his followers are the people of God, and Jewish unbelievers are the pagans who come and acknowledge the love of the Messiah for the church! There is, however, no indication of when such acknowledgment will come or of what nature it will be. Ladd (Commentary on Revelation, p. 61) sees this as a fulfillment of Paul's expectation of the conversion of "all Israel" (i.e., of the majority of the Jewish people) at some time in the future (Rom 11:25-26; cf. esp. v. 28). Most commentaries evade this issue.

(Rev 3:7 NASB) "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He Who is holy, Who is true, Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one will shut, and Who shuts and no one opens, says this:

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.

(Rev 3:9 NASB) 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie - I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. "

"2. Commendation (3:8-9)

3:8. As in the messages to the other churches, Christ stated, I know your deeds. In keeping with the description of His authority to open and close doors (v. 7), He declared, See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. There is no word of rebuke, though Christ said, I know that you have little strength. These words, however, become a basis for His commendation that you have kept My word and have not denied My name.

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 

(Rev 3:9 NASB) 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 

(Rev 3:10 NASB) 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth."

[Whereupon the Risen Christ stated to John to relay to the church at Philadelphia, through the "angelos" = messenger / pastor of the church, "Because you have kept the word of My perseverance" in the sense of the believers persevering in faithfulness evidently with supernatural help from the LORD through what He described as "an open door which no one can shut" (Rev 3:8), providing them opportunities to be faithful, "I also will keep you from the hour of testing," in the sense of keeping them from experiencing the day when the whole world is involved - a day which is yet to come: to test those who dwell on the earth;" a time which portends God's condemnation in a severely punitive manner, i.e., exercising His wrath throughout the planet especially upon all unbelievers; yet not excluding those who become believers during this period - the last 7 years of the period of Israel as God's chosen people known as the Tribulation Period!

So the church in Philadelphia was specifically commended and given a promise because they had endured patiently and faithfully the difficulties that they were experiencing in their mortal lives. The promise was, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. This is an explicit promise that the Philadelphian church and all believers throughout the church age will not have to endure - the hour / the time of trial upon the entire earth which will unfold in history right after the Church Age has ended. This period as portrayed in Revelation 6 has yet to occur in history, even in this 21st century. So the risen Jesus Christ was saying that the Philadelphian church and all church age believers would not enter this future time of worldwide trouble. He could not have stated it more explicitly. If Christ had meant to say that they would be preserved through a time of trouble, or would be taken out from within the Tribulation, a different verb and a different preposition would have been required.

Though scholars have attempted to avoid this conclusion in order to affirm posttribulationism, the combination of the verb "keep" (tērein) with the preposition "from" (ek) is in sharp contrast to the meaning of keeping the church "through" (dia), a preposition which is not used here. The expression "the hour of trial" (a time period) makes it clear that they would be kept out of that period. It is difficult to see how Christ could have made this promise to this local church if it were God's intention for the entire church to go through the Tribulation that will come upon the entire world. Even though the church at Philadelphia would go to glory via death long before the time of trouble would come, if the church here is taken to be typical of the body of Christ standing true to the faith, the promise seems to go beyond the Philadelphia church to all those who are believers in Christ (cf. Walvoord, Revelation, pp. 86-8). This is simply a matter of vocabulary, grammer and logic which most who disagree with the interpretation of "would not enter this future time of worldwide trouble" simply ignore this matter of simply reading what the words say correctly and properly read. That's what people do when they don't like what God is saying .

So it is evident that the believers of the Church Age who are still alive being kept from the hour of testing / condemnation is not limited to the faithful members of the church at Philadelphia in their time of the first century, but it encompasses according to this passage in Rev 3:10 and other passages all believers of the Church Age throughout the Church Age - faithful to less faithful to unfaithful who are still alive during the Church Age with the idea that no believer of the Church Age will suffer the temporal wrath of God that will come about throughout the earth during the seven year Tribulation period which comes right after the Church Age ends. Albeit those believers of the Church Age who have died before the Tribulation begins in history will already be with the LORD and at the appropriate time be raised from the dead and then raptured up to Christ and kept from the hour of testing that way. Those alive in Christ at the end of the Church Age will be transported / raptured to avoid the temporal wrath of God just before the Tribulation Period begins. Note that although faithful / persevering believers are in view in this passage, all believers throughout Church Age history - faithful to unfaithful in this Church Age alive and dead in Christ will ALL be caught up / raptured into the clouds to meet the LORD in the air and be brought back to heaven with Him as other passages stipulate especially 1 Thes 4:13-18 . And those who become believers during the Tribulation Period - not being part of the Church because they did not believe during the age of the church and missed the Rapture - will remain on the earth and be exposed to the testing / wrath of God.

So this has in view the horrific testing of all of those on the planet at a particular time - the last seven years of the Age of Israel - when that begins to occur to those who have rejected Christ by never believing in Him - many even rejecting the existence of God. Yet those who eventually do believe during that period - becoming believers of the period of the last seven years of the age of Israel who were not believers before the tribulation started will be subjected to the same tremendous testing of the wrath of God during that tribulation, many of whom will be preserved and a number of whom will not. Despite their faith, even because of it they will be martyred! What a horrendous time for believers and all people to be alive! This period of time will include all of a generaton of Israel who will all believe in Christ and be transformed into perfect human beings, knowing the Word of God perfectly and living hundreds of years and coruling with Christ when He comes again in His Second Coming, thus at long last fulfilling the New Covenant which is solely between God and Israel .

8) [(Rev 3:10) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:10]:

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 

(Rev 3:9 NASB) 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie - I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 

(Rev 3:10 NASB) 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth."

Related to the promise "I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth" are two problems: the identification of the "hour of trial" and the precise sense of the phrase "keep you from the hour of trial." Both involve the ongoing debate among evangelical eschatologists over the Tribulation-Rapture question.

We can dismiss the view that the "hour of trial" refers to some general or personal distress that will come upon the Philadelphian community and from which the church will be delivered (so J. Barton Payne, The Imminent Appearing of Christ [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1962], pp. 78-79). Though the universality of the expression "the whole world" is reason enough to refute Payne's view, the phrase "those who live on the earth" is repeated in Revelation a number of times and refers not to believers but to unbelievers who are the objects of God's wrath—i. e., the "beast-worshipers" (6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 12:12; 13:8, 12, 14; cf. Isa 24; Jer 13:12-14; IQH 8.19-36).

According to some interpreters (Ladd, Mounce, Walvoord), the "hour of trial" (horas tou peirasmou, "time of temptation") is better understood as the time known to the Jews as the "messianic woes," a time of intense trouble to fall on the world before the coming of Christ and known as the eschatological "day of the Lord," or the "Great Tribulation (Dan 12:1; Joel 2:31; Mark 13:14; 2 Thess 2:1-12; Rev 14:7). This "hour of trial," then, will be the one described in such detail in the following chapters of the book. In that case what, then, is the effect of the promise "I will also keep you from the hour of trial"? There are two possibilities. Some argue, with reference to the same Greek expression (tereo ek, "keep from") in John 17:15, that the sense is preservation while in the trial, since to be kept from evil or the evil one does not mean to be removed from his presence but simply to be kept from his harmful power. Therefore, the church universal will experience preservation from harm in the trial of persecution and suffering and will not be raptured till the end of the period (Ladd; cf. 1 Thess 4:13ff.).

On the other hand, some writers offer these objections to this exegesis: (1) The "hour of trial" John describes is a judgment from God on the unbelieving inhabitants of the world, not a form of evil such as John 17:15 describes. (2) It is not true that the saints of the Tribulation period are exempt from harm during this period; a great group of them will be martyred (6:9-11; 7:9-14, etc.). (3) In the Gospel of John, preservation is from the devil; in Revelation, from a time period—the "hour" of trial (J.B. Smith, pp. 88-89).

Ladd offsets some of this criticism by advocating that the hour of trial has two aspects—the fierce persecution of believers by the beast and the outpouring of divine judgments on a rebellious world represented in the trumpet and bowl plagues. Believers are kept from the harm of the latter but not the former (Commentary on Revelation, p. 62). The difficulty in this view lies in Ladd's failure to identify clearly the hour of trial in this verse. It cannot refer to both the Great Tribulation (7:14) on believers and the wrath of God.

In our opinion, this confusion may be avoided by clearly identifying "the hour of trial" as the wrath of God, deliverance from which is promised to every one of Christ's overcomers. As a matter of fact, the expression tereo ek ("keep out of") cannot be proved exegetically to be different from tereo apo ("keep from"). In the LXX of Proverbs 7:5 the sense of this latter expression is to deliver the man from contact with or the presence of the harlot. In James 1:27 the same expression means to be kept from the pollution of the world. In both instances the sense is that of exemption from something. Can one, then, be exempt from the "hour of trial" that will try the whole world by famines, earthquakes, wars, floods, etc., and still be present on the earth? Yes, but removal is still a possible method of protection.

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 

(Rev 3:9 NASB) 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 

(Rev 3:10 NASB) 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth."

"3. Promise (3:10-12)

3:10. The church in Philadelphia received no rebuke from Christ. Instead they were commended and given a promise because they had been willing to endure patiently. The promise was, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. This is an explicit promise that the Philadelphia church will not endure the hour of trial which is unfolded, beginning in Revelation 6. Christ was saying that the Philadelphia church would not enter the future time of trouble; He could not have stated it more explicitly. If Christ had meant to say that they would be preserved through a time of trouble, or would be taken out from within the Tribulation, a different verb and a different preposition would have been required.

(Rev 3:7 NASB) "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He Who is holy, Who is true, Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one will shut, and Who shuts and no one opens, says this: 

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 

(Rev 3:9 NASB) 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 

(Rev 3:10 NASB) 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 

(Rev 3:11 NASB) 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.' " 

[So the Risen Lord announced to John that He was coming quickly not in the sense of a quick passage of time for it has been nearly 2,000 years of time passed since He went up to heaven, but in the sense of when He does come - evidently when He comes to rapture up His own - believers of the Church Age - those who are of the body of Christ. For the Judgment seat of Christ immediately follows - the judgment which is for giving out eternal rewards such as crowns. That coming will be quick. Hence they were to hold fast to what they have relative to eternal rewards: "so that no one will take their crown," i.e., disqualify them to receive rewards for not being faithful resulting in disappointed tears in heaven for not receiving rewards because they were not faithful. Tears for a season until the new heavens and the new earth ]

10) [(Rev 3:11) [Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:11]:

(Rev 3:7 NASB) "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He Who is holy, Who is true, Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one will shut, and Who shuts and no one opens, says this: 

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 

(Rev 3:9 NASB) 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 

(Rev 3:10 NASB) 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 

(Rev 3:11 NASB) 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.' "

"11 Here the words of Christ "I am coming soon" (cf. 22:7, 12, 20) are not a threat of judgment but a promise of Christ's second coming, such as the promise the faithful Christians in Thyatira received (2:25). The testing that faced the Philadelphians was not the same as that facing the unbelieving earth dwellers (v. 10). Loyal disciples must face one type of conflict, the world with its earth dwellers quite another (Minear, I Saw a New Earth, in loc.). Some such conflict is envisioned when Christ says, "Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown." They had kept His word and had not denied His name in the face of persecution. Either Satan or men could rob them of their crown by diverting them from exclusive loyalty to Jesus (on crown, see comments on 2:10)."

11) [(Rev 3:11) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 3:11]:

(Rev 3:7 NASB) "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He Who is holy, Who is true, Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one will shut, and Who shuts and no one opens, says this: 

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 

(Rev 3:9 NASB) 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 

(Rev 3:10 NASB) 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 

(Rev 3:11 NASB) 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.' "

"3:11. Additional promises were given. Christ promised, I am coming soon, a concept repeated often in the Book of Revelation. The thought is not simply that of coming soon but coming suddenly or quickly (cf. 1:1; 2:16). They were exhorted in the light of His coming to continue to hold on to what they have."

B cont.) [(Rev 3:7-13) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:7-13, (cont.)]:

(Rev 3:7 NASB) "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He Who is holy, Who is true, Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one will shut, and Who shuts and no one opens, says this: 

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 

(Rev 3:9 NASB) 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 

(Rev 3:10 NASB) 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 

(Rev 3:11 NASB) 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.'

(Rev 3:12 NASB) 'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and 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 My new name."

[In ancient architecture, pillars were known for their strength and stability, and were often used to support the weight of a structure. In this context, being made a pillar in the temple of God signifies a position of strength, stability, and honor. Everyone who is an overcomer will become a pillar in the temple of God. This is of course symbolic of the permanent place in heaven for believers, referred to here as the temple of God. The entire New Jerusalem will be the ultimate temple. An overcomer is one who keeps his faith in Christ and does not turn away when things get hard, accomplishes the purpose God intends for him, and as a result be one who will rule and reign with Christ in the Eternal Kingdom, and not just reside in heaven without receiving much if anything in the way of being rewarded, as will be the case for believers who do little to be faithful in their temporal lives. That being said, the Risen Lord will make the overcomer a pillar in the sense of a significant and eternal part of heaven. And he will receive the name of Christ's God, evidently a special name as well as the name of the city of God, the new Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven - evidently a special name to identify the faithful believer as a resident of the new Jerusalem; and he will receive the new name of Christ - evidently a special name to identify the faithful believer for his faithfulness to Christ. So Christ promises recognition in His Eternal Kingdom worthy of the most noble hero of any society]

12) [(Rev 3:12) [Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:12]:

(Rev 3:7 NASB) "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He Who is holy, Who is true, Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one will shut, and Who shuts and no one opens, says this: 

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 

(Rev 3:9 NASB) 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 

(Rev 3:10 NASB) 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 

(Rev 3:11 NASB) 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.'

(Rev 3:12 NASB) 'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and 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 My new name."

"12 The promise to the overcomer is again twofold and related to the experience and memory of the inhabitants of the city. First, Christ will make the overcomer a "pillar in the temple of my God." As has already been noted, the city was constantly threatened with earthquakes. Often the only parts of a city left standing after a severe quake were the huge stone temple columns. Christ promises to set believers in his temple (the future kingdom) in such a secure fashion that no disturbance can ever force them out.

Moreover, a faithful municipal servant or a distinguished priest was sometimes honored by having a special pillar added to one of the temples and inscribed with his name (Barclay, Seven Churches, p. 89). This may well be the sense of the second promise, "I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem,... and... my new name." The inscribed name signifies identification and ownership. To those who have "little strength" (little influence) because of being ostracized, Christ promises recognition in His kingdom worthy of the most noble hero of any society.

13) [(Rev 3:12) [Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 3:12]:

(Rev 3:7 NASB) "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He Who is holy, Who is true, Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one will shut, and Who shuts and no one opens, says this: 

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 

(Rev 3:9 NASB) 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 

(Rev 3:10 NASB) 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 

(Rev 3:11 NASB) 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.'

(Rev 3:12 NASB) 'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and 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 My new name."

"3:12. Everyone who is an overcomer will become a pillar in the temple of... God. This is of course symbolic of the permanent place in heaven for believers, referred to here as the temple of God. The entire New Jerusalem will be the ultimate temple (21:22). In contrast to earthly temples and earthly pillars which fall, believers will continue forever in the temple. Christ specified that He was referring to the city of My God, that is, the New Jerusalem (cf. 21:2). He repeated His promise: I will also write on him My new name (cf. 2:17; 14:1; 19:12). Because believers have identified with Christ by faith, He will identify Himself with them."

[Biblestudymanuals comment]: The context of this passage is not just believers, but more specifically limited to believers who are overcomers who will be rewarded with becoming a pillar in the temple of God, and have Christ's new name, and the name of the city of God]

14) [Compare bible.art on Rev 3:12]:

"What does Revelation 3:12 mean?

"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." - Revelation 3:12

This verse, found in the book of Revelation, is part of the messages to the seven churches in Asia. The specific message is directed to the church in Philadelphia, which means "brotherly love." It is important to note that the book of Revelation is a highly symbolic and apocalyptic work, and its words and images must be interpreted carefully.

The verse begins with the promise to "him that overcometh." This indicates that the rewards described in the following lines are reserved for those who remain faithful and steadfast in their faith despite challenges and trials. The reward promised is the honor of becoming a "pillar in the temple of my God." In ancient architecture, pillars were known for their strength and stability, and were often used to support the weight of a structure. In this context, being made a pillar in the temple of God signifies a position of strength, stability, and honor in the spiritual realm.

The verse also speaks to the permanence of this position by stating that the overcomer "shall go no more out." This indicates that once a person is established as a pillar in God's temple, they will remain there forever, secure in their position and a permanent part of God's kingdom.

The next part of the verse speaks to the marking or inscribing of the overcomer with the name of God, the name of the city of God (new Jerusalem), and the new name of Jesus Christ. Being marked with the name of God and the city of God symbolizes ownership, protection, and belonging to the divine realm. In ancient times, a person's name was closely tied to their identity and authority, and to have the name of God inscribed upon them would signify a deep and intimate connection with the divine. Additionally, the new name of Jesus Christ represents the ultimate authority and power of the divine overcomer, and the intimate relationship with Jesus as the Savior and Lord.

The symbolism in this verse carries several important themes. First and foremost, it speaks to the reward and honor that awaits those who remain faithful and steadfast in their faith, despite challenges and struggles. The promise of becoming a pillar in the temple of God represents the stability, honor, and permanence of this position within the divine realm. It also reflects the believer's close connection with God, symbolized by the inscribing of God's name and the new name of Jesus Christ upon them.

In terms of context, the message to the church in Philadelphia is significant in that it addresses a faithful and committed community, encouraging them to persevere in times of trial and difficulty. The promises given in this verse serve as powerful incentives to remain steadfast in the face of persecution and adversity.

Overall, Revelation 3:12 is a powerful and hopeful message that speaks to the ultimate reward and honor that awaits those who remain faithful and true to their faith. It offers comfort and encouragement to believers, reminding them of the eternal significance of their steadfastness and commitment to God."

B cont.) [(Rev 3:7-13) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:7-13, (cont.)]:

(Rev 3:7 NASB) "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He Who is holy, Who is true, Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one will shut, and Who shuts and no one opens, says this: 

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 

(Rev 3:9 NASB) 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 

(Rev 3:10 NASB) 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 

(Rev 3:11 NASB) 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 

(Rev 3:12 NASB) 'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and 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 My new name. 

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 

(Rev 3:9 NASB) 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 

(Rev 3:10 NASB) 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 

(Rev 3:11 NASB) 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 

(Rev 3:12 NASB) 'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and 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 My new name. 

The general exhortation follows the promise. (See comments in the introduction to the seven letters. )

16) [(Rev 3:13) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 3:13]:

(Rev 3:7 NASB) "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He Who is holy, Who is true, Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one will shut, and Who shuts and no one opens, says this: 

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 

(Rev 3:9 NASB) 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 

(Rev 3:10 NASB) 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 

(Rev 3:11 NASB) 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 

(Rev 3:12 NASB) 'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and 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 My new name. 

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
(Rev 3:19 NASB) 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

(Rev 3:20 NASB) 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

(Rev 3:21 NASB) 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

(Rev 3:22 NASB) 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' "

[Biblestudymanuals: Re: Rev 3:14 NASB: "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:"

The Risen Christ indicated to John to write to the angel / pastor of the church in Laodicea to write: "The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:" The words rendered "The Amen" refers to the Hebrew adverb that is rendered by the Greek rendered "amen" in English which means the acknowledgment of that which is sure and valid. It is a word of human response to what God has said or done. So Jesus is "the Amen" with the definite article which gives the asense that He is the epitime of "Amen;" He is THE Perfect Human representing His Perfectly Obedient response to the commands of God His Father relative to the Father's divine promises to mankind relative to Christ's Perfect obedience in that respect: 

The next phrase which connects / resonates with the first rendered, "the faithful and true Witness" is in the sense that He, the Christ, is to the world "The Amen" of God in absolute faithfulness and in true witness of God to the world. So Jesus' response to God's will was the perfect response of obedience and suffering: His payment for the sins of the whole world (cf. Isa 53:5-6; Isa 65:16 ; 1 Jn 2:2 ).

Whereupon the third phrase which follows, "The Amen, the faithful and true Witness," especially from the beginning of creation because He is Creator - both God and Man Who created all things which testifies that He is absolutely "the Amen" of God especially relative to His absolute faithfulness and His absolutely true witness to God because He is God and Man, the only One Who has absolute power over the world because He is the source and origin of all creation being Creator of all things, (1:17; 2:8; 22:13; Jn 1:1-3; Col 1:15-17).

1) [Compare Col 1:15-17]:

(Col 1:15 NASB) "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation [in the sense of having absolute preminence, not in the sense of being physically born created first]

(Col 1:16 NASB) For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers , or authorities - all things have been created through Him, and for Him.

(Col 1:17 NASB) He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."

2) [Compare Jn 1:1-3]:

(Jn 1:1 NASB) "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and [Greek order: God in the sense of everything that is God] was the Word.

(Jn 1:2 NASB) He was in the beginning with God.

(Jn 1:3 NASB) All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being."

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:"

"Laodicea was about forty-five miles southeast of Philadelphia and about one hundred miles due east of Ephesus. Along with Colosse and Hierapolis, it was one of the cities in the fertile Lyous valley. The great Roman road stretching to the inland of Asia from the coast at Ephesus ran straight through its center, making Laodicea an important center of trade and communication. In addition, its wealth came from the production of a fine quality of famous glossy black wool—whether dyed or natural in color is not known. That the city's banking assets were noteworthy is evidenced by the fact that Cicero cashed huge bank drafts in Laodicea. So wealthy was Laodicea that after the great earthquake of A.D. 17, which destroyed it, the people refused imperial help in rebuilding the city, choosing rather to do it entirely by themselves.

Laodicea had a famous school of medicine; and a special ointment known as "Phrygian powder," famous for its cure of eye defects, was either manufactured or distributed there, as were ear ointments also. Near the temple of the special god associated with healing, Men Karou (who later became identified with Asclepius), there was a market for trading all sorts of goods (Ramsay, Seven Churches, p. 417). Zeus, the supreme god, was also worshiped in the city.

Ramsay notes that Laodicea is difficult to describe because no one thing stands out. There were no excesses or notable achievements to distinguish it. It was a city with a people who had learned to compromise and accommodate themselves to the needs and wishes of others (ibid., p. 423). They did not zealously stand for anything. A six-mile-long aqueduct brought Laodicea its supply of water from the south. The water came either from hot springs and was cooled to lukewarm or came from a cooler source and warmed up in the aqueduct on the way. For all its wealth, the city had poor water. A large and influential Jewish population resided there. As for the church in Laodicea, it may have been founded by Epaphras (Col 4:12-13).

4) [(Rev 3:14) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:14]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:"

"14 The speaker identifies himself by a threefold affirmation: "The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation." The normal Hebrew adverb that is rendered by the Greek amen means the acknowledgment of that which is sure and valid. It is a word of human response to the divine verity or action. Jesus is the "Amen" in the sense that he is the perfect human, obedient response to the divine promises (cf. Isa 65:16; TDNT, 1:337). Jesus' response to God's will was the perfect response of obedience and suffering: he is the "faithful and true witness" (cf. comments  on 1:5, on 9; and on 2:13). The same thought is expressed by Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:20: "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through Him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God."...

The "ruler" (arche, "source," "origin") further amplifies the Amen statement. Paul used arche in Colossians 1:18 to describe Christ as the source or origin of all creation (not the first created; cf. Prov 8:22; John 1:3), no doubt to correct a heresy. Since Colosse was a neighboring city of Laodicea, it is not improbable that the same heresy was also affecting the sister church at Laodicea. But this is not explicit. What is plain is this: When Christ addresses a church that is failing in loyalty and obedience, he is to them the "Amen" of God in faithfulness and in true witness, the only one who has absolute power over the world because he is the source and origin of all creation (1:15, 17, 18; 2:8; 22:13)."

5) [(Rev 3:14) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 3:14]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:"

"3:14. The wealthy city of Laodicea was located on the road to Colosse about 40 miles southeast of Philadelphia. About 35 years before this letter was written, Laodicea was destroyed by an earthquake, but it had the wealth and ability to rebuild. Its main industry was wool cloth. There is no record that Paul ever visited this city, but he was concerned about it (Col. 2:1-2; 4:16).

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth."

So the Risen Christ commanded John to write to the angel / pastor i.e., messenger of the church in Laodicea and write referring to Himself, "The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth."

Since the city of Hierapolis, seven miles north of Laodicea, had famous "hot springs," it may also be that similar springs were located south of Laodicea and affected the temperature of the water supply as well - going from hot to lukewarm. For by the time the water reached Laodicea, it was lukewarm! Furthermore, the word rendered "Cold" could refer to the cool water located at Colosse, less than ten miles away which resulted in an insipid / lukewarm water supply in Laodicea that the city was known to have, despite its wealth. So "hot" would remind the Laodiceans of the beneficial "hot springs" to the north of Hierapolis which would cool off to lukewarm as it arrived in Laodicea; and "cold" could refer to the water supply in Colosse 10 miles away which deteriorated into luke warm by the time it flowed into Laodicea, which city for all its wealth, had an insipid, luke warm water supply - one that induced vomiting! In their feasts as well as in their religious sacrifices people in the ancient world customarily drank what was either hot or cold - never lukewarm. Hence the Risen Lord was most likely referring to the insipid lukewarm water of Laodicea as opposed to the more useful hot or cold to make His point about the believers being neither cold nor hot which indicates being of value as opposed to lukewarm which indicates not being useful just as lukewarm water was not useful to the people in Laodicea to drink.

5) [(Rev 3:15-16) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:15-16]:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth."

"15-16 Sadly, the speaker's knowledge reveals an unqualified condemnation of the Laodicean church. The verdict is the exact opposite of the church's own evaluation and expectations. Their deeds were "neither cold nor hot." The expression "cold nor hot" may refer to their lack of zeal (v. 19) or their uselessness, for Christ says, "I wish you were either one or the other" (lit., "either cold or hot"). There is good reason why we should not try to take both of these words as if Christ meant I wish you were either spiritually cold (i.e., unsaved or hostile) or spiritually hot (i.e., alive and fervent). In the first place, it is inconceivable that Christ would wish that people were spiritually cold, or unsaved and hostile. Furthermore, the application of "hot" and "cold" to spiritual temperature, though familiar to us, would have been completely foreign to first-century Christians. The two adjectives in "neither hot nor cold" should be understood together as equivalent to "lukewarmness" (v. 16). That is to say, they were useless to Christ because they were complacent, self satisfied, and indifferent to the real issues of faith in him and of discipleship.

Since the city of Hierapolis, seven miles north of Laodicea, had famous "hot springs," it may be that similar springs were located south of Laodicea and affected the temperature of the water supply. "I am about to spit [emesai, `vomit'] you out of my mouth" seems to allude to the lukewarm water. "Cold" could refer to the useful cool water located at Colosse, less than ten miles away. "Hot" would remind the Laodiceans of the beneficial "hot springs" to the north of Hierapolis. Yet Laodicea, for all its wealth, had an insipid water supply—one that induced vomiting! Christ detests a Laodicean attitude of compromise, one that seeks easy accommodation and peace at any cost. With such a condition, he must deal harshly. To be a Christian means to be useful to Christ."

[Biblestudymanuals: On the other hand many Christians throughout the age have not been useful, albeit they will be subject to discipline; nevertheless they are saved by grace through faith and that salvation is not of themselves, it is the gift of God and not of works, that no one may boast. For we are [His] workmanship, [having been created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we should walk in them; (cf. Eph 2:8-9)]

6) [(Rev 3:15-16) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 3:15-16]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth."

"3:15-16. No word of commendation was extended to the Laodicean church. They were pictured as utterly abhorrent to Christ because they were lukewarm. This was addressed to the church and also to the messenger or the pastor whom some believe was Archippus (Col. 4:17). It is improbable, however, that Archippus, if he had been the pastor of the church, was still living. In referring to the church as "lukewarm" Christ had in mind that this was its permanent situation. In their feasts as well as in their religious sacrifices people in the ancient world customarily drank what was either hot or cold - never lukewarm. This rebuke would have been especially meaningful to this church, for water was piped to the city from Hierapolis, a few miles north. By the time the water reached Laodicea, it was lukewarm!" - a description was in preparation for the stern word of rebuke which Christ would give the church in Laodicea." And this description the Lord gave to all believers as applicable to their lack of perseverance in the faith especially to those who are not enthusiastically engaged in spreading the gospel and other doctrines of the faith: "So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth!"

C cont.) [(Rev 3:14-22) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:14-22 cont.]:
(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,"

[After the risen Lord told John to write, "I will spit you out of My mouth,' and then to write, "Because you say, 'I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,' and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,' " It is evident that they viewed themselves as being rich - having need of nothing - material or otherwise and could actually boast about their condition as having need of nothing. But the risen Lord stated, "you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked." For material possessions count little in this life and zero in eternity according to the Lord. The deeper problem in the Laodicean church was not simply their indifference. It was their ignorance of their real condition. The general condition of the populace at large - rich in material possessions and self-sufficient. The spirit of the surrounding culture

[Biblestudymanuals: the lack of a spiritual connection with God ...] had crept into the congregation and had paralyzed their spiritual life. But did they actually claim to be materially rich or spiritually rich? Since it is difficult to see how a Christian community would boast of material wealth, many prefer the latter interpretation. Yet the Laodiceans may have interpreted their material wealth as a blessing from God and thus have been self-deceived as to their true spiritual state. In any case, they had misread their true condition.

7) [(Rev 3:17) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:17]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,"

"17 The deeper problem in the Laodicean church was not simply their indifference. It was their ignorance of their real condition: "You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.'" Observe the way this indictment is related to the general condition of the populace at large - rich in material possessions and self-sufficient. The spirit of the surrounding culture had crept into the congregation and had paralyzed their spiritual life. But did they actually claim to be materially rich or spiritually rich? Since it is difficult to see how a Christian community would boast of material wealth, many prefer the latter interpretation. Yet the Laodiceans may have interpreted their material wealth as a blessing from God and thus have been self-deceived as to their true spiritual state. In any case, they had misread their true condition.

Christ's revelation of the Laodiceans' actual situation shatters their illusions and calls them to repentance: "But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." Probably the first two characteristics - "wretched" and "pitiful"- are to be linked together, while the latter three explain this twofold condition in more detail (cf. v. 18). They are not, as they thought, rich and without need; they are pitifully wretched and in great need, being "poor, blind and naked." Conversely, Jesus said to the church at Smyrna, "I know... your poverty - yet you are rich!" (2:9).

To be "wretched" physically describes life when everything one owns has been destroyed or plundered by war (Ps 137:8 LXX). Here it refers to the Laodiceans' spiritual destitution and pitiableness before God. "Poor, blind and naked" refer to the three sources of their miserable condition. "Lukewarmness," then, does not refer to the laxity of Christians but the condition of not really knowing Christ as Savior and Lord and thus being useless to him. Origen likewise understood the passage to refer not to lapsed Christians but to the unregenerate (Principiis 3.4.3)."

[Biblestudymanuals: On the contrary, believers are in view. For the Risen Lord Jesus Christ to tell John to write to the church in Laodicea, not to non-Christians, not to all those who may have attended a church service but to members of the church, i.e., to those who trusted in Christ supports idea that Revelation was written to believers not to unbelievers.]

8) [(Rev 3:17) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 3:17]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,"

"3:17. Their being lukewarm spiritually was evidenced by their being content with their material wealth and their being unaware of their spiritual poverty. Christ used strong words to describe them: wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked."

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see."

[In Rev 3:18 the Risen Lord advises believers to buy from Him in the sense of being faithful to Him: picture eternal gold refined by Him as temporal gold is refined in the material world by fire so that the believer as he chooses to be faithful he may become eternally rich in the sense that just as material / temporal gold may be a source of the wealth such as in the city of Laodicea, the heavenly refined Gold of the Risen Lord, one may 'buy' from Him perfectly refined heavenly Gold which will become in the spiritually poverty-stricken Christian's life: eternal wealth. Their shameful nakedness was therby to be clothed, not by purchasing the sleek, black wool of Laodicea, but by buying by faith from Christ the eternal white clothing that alone can cover their shameful nakedness (16:15). And further to "buy" eye salve through the proper study of the Word of God to anoint the believer's eyes so that they may better see spiritual things and enjoy greater blessings and rewards in eternity. Note that Laodicea had a famous school of medicine; and a special ointment known as "Phrygian powder," famous for its cure of eye defects, was either manufactured or distributed there, as were ear ointments also. But the Risen Christ had John write of His eye salve 66667777

9) [(Rev 3:18) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:18]:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me Gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see."

66667777

"18 The commands of Christ correspond exactly to the self-deceptions of the Laodiceans. Gold, a source of the wealth of the city, was to be bought from Christ and to become the spiritually poverty-stricken's true wealth. Their shameful nakedness was to be clothed, not by purchasing the sleek, black wool of Laodicea, but by buying from Christ the white clothing that alone can cover shameful nakedness (16:15). For those who were blind to their true condition, the "Phrygian powder" was useless (cf. comments on v. 14). They needed to buy salve from Christ so that they could truly see. The reference to buying would recall the famous market near the temple of Men Karou, where the commodities manufactured at Laodicea could be bought, along with imports from other areas. But to what do gold, white clothes, and salve symbolically refer? Minear suggests the following:

The only cure for poverty-stricken disciples was to purchase from Christ gold which is refined in the agonies of the shared passion. For their nakedness (did Hans Christian Andersen find here the theme of "The Emperor's New Clothes"?) the only recourse was to buy such clothes as the naked Christ had worn on the cross. The blindness of self-deception could be cured only by understanding the correlation between Christ's love and his discipline. These three purchases constitute a substantial definition of the kind of zeal and repentance which was the burden of all John's prophecies. The thrust of these commands moves in the direction of rigorous warning They are tantamount to saying "Open your eyes" and "Carry your cross." This letter argues against the widespread assertion of many interpreters to the effect that John's chief concern was to provide consolation to a persecuted church. Nearer the mark would be the opposite assertion; bkthat John, like Jesus, was concerned to bring not peace but a sword (I Saw a New Earth, p. 57).

The three figures all point to the Laodiceans' need of authentic salvation through Christ."

10) [(Rev 3:18) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 3:18]:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see."

3. Exhortation (3:18-19)

"3:18-19. They were urged to buy not ordinary gold, but refined gold, referring to that which would glorify God and make them truly rich. Through its banking industry the city had material wealth. But the church lacked spiritual richness. Though they had beautiful clothes, they were urged to wear white clothes (cf. v. 4), symbolic of righteousness which would cover their spiritual nakedness. As wool was a major product of the area, Laodicea was especially famous for a black garment made out of black wool. What they needed instead was pure white clothing.

Then Christ exhorted them to put salve... on their eyes. A medical school was located in Laodicea at the temple of Asclepius, which offered a special salve to heal common eye troubles of the Middle East. What they needed was not this medicine but spiritual sight. The church at Laodicea is typical of a modern church quite unconscious of its spiritual needs and content with beautiful buildings and all the material things money can buy. This is a searching and penetrating message. To all such the exhortation is be earnest, and repent. Christ rebuked them because He loved them, which love would also bring chastisement on this church."

66667777

(Rev 3:1 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 

(Rev 3:2 NASB) 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 

(Rev 3:3 NASB) 'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 

(Rev 3:4 NASB) 'But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 

(Rev 3:5 NASB) 'He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 

(Rev 3:6 NASB) 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' 

(Rev 3:7 NASB) "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He Who is holy, Who is true, Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one will shut, and Who shuts and no one opens, says this: 

(Rev 3:8 NASB) 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 

(Rev 3:9 NASB) 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 

(Rev 3:10 NASB) 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 

(Rev 3:11 NASB) 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 

(Rev 3:12 NASB) 'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and 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 My new name. 

(Rev 3:13 NASB) 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'
(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
(Rev 3:19 NASB) 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

(Rev 3:20 NASB) 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

(Rev 3:21 NASB) 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

(Rev 3:22 NASB) 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

999999999999999999999999999 EXPOSITOR'S 9999999999999999999999999

5. To Sardis (3:1-6)

Sardis was about thirty miles south of Thyatira. Its location commanded the trade of the Aegean Islands and the military road through the important Hermus River valley. Sardis enjoyed prominence as a commercially prosperous and militarily strategic city throughout its history. The city's topography was notable for the acropolis, the temple of Artemis, and the necropolis. The acropolis rose about eight hundred feet above the north section of Sardis and was virtually impregnable because of its rock walls, which were nearly vertical, except on the south side. Formerly the site of the original city, the acropolis became a refuge for the inhabitants in time of siege.

Only twice in the history of Sardis was its fortress ever captured, though attacks on it were frequent. When Cyrus attacked it in the sixth century B.C., a shrewd Persian soldier observed a Sardian descending the southern winding path to retrieve his fallen helmet. Unknown to the soldier, the Persians followed his path back up to the summit and captured the whole city, taking them quite by surprise. There was a similar occurrence when Antiochus attacked Sardis about two hundred years later.

The temple to Artemis (possibly Cybele) equaled in size the famous temple of Artemis in Ephesus. However, the temple at Sardis was never finished.

A third feature of Sardis was the impressive necropolis, or cemetery, of "a thousand hills" (modern Bin Tepe), so named because of the hundreds of burial mounds visible on the skyline some seven miles from Sardis.

Sardis retained its wealth into the first two centuries of the Christian Era. But its political brilliance as the capital city of Asia for Persia lay in the past. Ramsay aptly remarks, "No city of Asia at that time showed such a melancholy contrast between past splendor and present decay as Sardis" (William M. Ramsay, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia [London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1904], p. 375). In A.D. 26, Sardis begged the Roman Senate to grant it the coveted honor of building a temple to Caesar. The distinction, however, went to Smyrna. The luxurious living of the Sardians led to moral decadence. Herodotus (fifth century B.C.) wrote despairingly of Sardis and its people as "the tender-footed Lydians, who can only play on the cithara, strike the guitar, and sell by retail" (William Barclay, Letters to the Seven Churches [New York: Abingdon, 1957], p. 71). Sardis was a city of peace, not the peace won through battle, but "the peace of the man whose dreams are dead and whose mind is asleep, the peace of lethargy and evasion" (ibid., p. 72). A great wool industry flourished at Sardis, and this may account for Christ's reference to clothing (v. 4).

1 The speaker identifies himself as "him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars" (cf. comments on 1:4 and on 1:16, on 20; and on 2:1). To the Sardians, Christ reveals himself as the one who controls the seven spirits of God. If the Sardian church is strong, it is because Christ has sent his Spirit to encourage and quicken the Sardian believers; if they are dead like Sardis, it is because in judgment he has withdrawn his Spirit from them. Yet the faithful minority at Sardis (v. 4) can count on that divine power of Christ to sustain, give life, and mobilize them to do his will even though the majority are dead. (On the "seven stars," cf. comments at 2:1.)

The speaker's knowledge of the church in Sardis reveals their true condition. He knows their "deeds." It is not clear whether this alludes to their past accomplishments, which gave them their reputation of being alive, or whether the reference is to their present deeds, which were not those Christ sought from them. This latter view is supported by v. 2, where he mentions their deeds again and says they are incomplete. He also knows that though they claim to be a healthy Christian church, in reality they are "dead."

How does a church die? Why does Christ use this expression for Sardis even though the churches in Thyatira and Laodicea also had serious problems? Sardis had had significant fame as a royal city, but now it was nothing. The citizens were living off past fame. Apparently the same spirit had affected the church. Their loyalty and service to Christ was in the past. Now they were nothing. It may be that they had so made peace with the surrounding society that the offense of the Cross had ceased, and they were no longer in jeopardy of life or vulnerable to suffering. Further facts emerge when we consider the series of commands in vv. 2-3. Death was a special preoccupation of the Sardians, as witnessed by the impressive necropolis seven miles from the city. What had been a part of the pagan rites had also crept into the church. But again this work of the enemy came through deception. The Sardian church was for the most part a duped church.

2 The command "Wake up!" or "Be watchful" (present tense, "Be constantly alert") is a call to reverse their attitudes radically. The congregation must be alerted to the seriousness of the situation. Their complacency led them to give up their identification with Christ and their mission for him. The situation was dire but not totally hopeless. Immediate steps were to be taken to "strengthen what remains." Some persons and things were salvageable if quick and decisive action were taken. Otherwise, death would follow.

The Sardians' deeds are in danger of judgment because Christ has not found them "complete [pepleromena, 'full,' 'fulfilled,' 'filled up to measure'] in the sight of my God." Though this could refer to incompleteness in the number of their deeds, more likely it describes the quality of their deeds—they do not measure up to the standard Christ sets. In the other letters, works acceptable to Christ are love, faithfulness, perseverance, keeping Christ's words, and not denying his name.

3 Like those in Ephesus, the Sardians must remember what they "have received and heard." What they "received" was the apostolic tradition of the gospel; what they "heard" probably were the teachings of the apostles and prophets who brought the gospel to them. Unlike the church at Philadelphia (v. 8), the Sardians were not holding to the word of Christ. For them repentance was the only way out of certain and final death. So they were to repent by restoring the gospel and the apostolic doctrine to its authority over their lives. This would mean they would once more start obeying (tereo, "keep," "watch") the truth of Christ's word. Today's church needs to hear this challenge to take the word of Christ seriously. Unless the church at Sardis repents, Christ says that he will come to them in judgment "as a thief "—i.e., by surprise—just as Sardis had been attacked and defeated by Cyrus long before. "As a thief" should probably not be taken as referring to the Second Coming but to Christ's coming against them (opposing them) in judgment (cf. his threat to the church in Ephesus in 2:5).

4 While the majority had departed from faithful obedience to Christ, a few at Sardis remained true. Here an allusion to the wool industry at Sardis intensifies the image of soiled and defiled garments. Those with soiled garments were removed from the public lists of citizens in Sardis. In the pagan religions it was forbidden to approach the gods in garments that were soiled or stained (Barclay, Seven Churches, p. 77). Soiling seems to be a symbol for mingling with pagan life and thus defiling the purity of one's relation to Christ (14:4; 1Cor 8:7; 2Cor 7:1; 11:2; Jude 23). To "walk with Christ" symbolizes salvation and fellowship with him—something the others at Sardis had forfeited through their sin (1 John 1:6-7).

[This is not true. One cannot forfeit ones salvation through sinful behavior. It is forever received through a moment of faith - perfect tense - not of yourselves - no matter how despicable one can be; it is a gift of God, not by works . The passage in 1 John chapter does not say if we believers lead sinful lives they forfeit their salvation, only that they are out of fellowship with God while they continue in sin, which can be remedied by confession until they sin again

"White" garments are symbolic of the righteousness, victory, and glory of God (3:18; 6:11; 7:9, 13f.; 19:14). As Caird (p. 49) observes, this passage shows that not all faithful Christians were martyrs, nor can we make emperor worship the sole source of the problems of the early Christians. Ironically, the Sardians were occupied with their outward appearance, but they were not concerned with inner purity toward Christ and their outward moral life in a pagan society.

5 The overcomer's promise is threefold and grows out of the reference to white clothing.

1. "Like" the faithful Sardian Christians who would receive white clothes from Christ, the others there who overcame the stains of pagan society would similarly be dressed in white.

2. Furthermore, the pure relationship to Christ is permanently guaranteed: "I will never erase his name from the book of life." In ancient cities the names of citizens were recorded in a register till their death; then their names were erased or marked out of the book of the living. This same idea appears in the OT (Exod 32:32-33; Ps 69:28; Isa 4:3). From the idea of being recorded in God's book of the living (or the righteous) comes the sense of belonging to God's eternal kingdom or possessing eternal life (Dan 12:1; Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3; Heb 12:23; Rev 13:8; 17:8; 20:15; 21:27). For Christ to say that he will never blot out or erase the overcomer's name from the book of life is the strongest affirmation that death can never separate us from Christ and his life (Rom 8:38-39). A person enrolled in the book of life by faith remains in it by faithfulness and can be erased only by disloyalty. There is some evidence that a person's name could be removed from the city register before death if he were convicted of a crime. In the first century, Christians who were loyal to Christ were under constant threat of being branded political and social rebels and then stripped of their citizenship. But Christ offers them an eternal, safe citizenship in his everlasting kingdom if they only remain loyal to him.

3. Finally, to the overcomer Christ promised to "acknowledge his name before [the] Father and his angels." "Acknowledge" (homologeo) is a strong word for confession before the courts. It is Christ's confession of our name before the Father and his angels (implying our fellowship with him) that assures our heavenly citizenship (Matt 10:32; Luke 12:8).

What ultimately counts, then, is not our acceptance by this world's societies but that our relationship to Christ is genuine and hence will merit his approbation in the coming kingdom.

6 Again, the general exhortation comes last, as in the previous letter (cf. comments in the introduction to the seven letters).

Notes

1 See also John G. Pedley, Ancient Literary Sources on Sardis (Cambridge, Mass. Harvard University Press, 1972).

2 The imperfect tense in ἃ ἔμελλον ἀποθανεῖν (ha emellon apothanein, "what is about to die") probably looks back from the reader's point of view to the time when John saw the vision. At the same time, it expresses the conviction of the writer that the worst would soon be past (Swete, p. 48; Ernest Burton, Syntax of the Moods and Tenses of New Testament Greek, 3d ed. [Edinburgh T. & T. Clark, 1898], par. 73).

4 S. David Garber argues that the white robes mentioned throughout the Book of Revelation refer to the divine gift of salvation that can be preserved only through continued discipleship. He also sees a possible allusion to the idea of a heavenly or spiritual body of glory that accompanies the resurrection—an idea that occurs frequently in the Jewish apocalyptic literature but which is different than the white-clothing imagery found among the Gnostic religions ("Symbolism of Heavenly Robes in the New Testament in Comparison with Gnostic Thought" [Ph.D. diss., Princeton Theological Seminary, 1974], pp. 307-14).

5 The reading οὕτως (houtos, "like them") over οὕτος (houtos, "this one") is by no means certain. While Metzger et al. argues for the first reading on superior MS evidence (Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New; Testament [New York: UBS, 1971], p. 736), Alford (Alf, in loc.) and Beckwith (in loc.) have a point in suggesting that the author would have used ὅμοιως (homoios, "likewise"), not houtos to express similarity.

6. To Philadelphia (3:7-13)

About twenty-five miles southeast of Sardis, along the Hermus River valley, lay the important high plateau city of Philadelphia, modern Alasehir. A main highway that ran through the city connected Smyrna (about a hundred miles due west) to northwest Asia, Phrygia, and the east. Furthermore, the imperial post road of the first century A.D., which came from Rome via Troas, Adramyttium, Pergamum, and Sardis, passed through this valley and Philadelphia on the way to the east. So situated, Philadelphia became a strong fortress city. To the northeast was a great vine-growing district, which, along with textile and leather industries, contributed greatly to the city's prosperity.

Philadelphia was established by the Pergamenian king Attalus II (159-138 B.C.), who had been given the epithet "Philadelphus" ("brother lover") because of his love for his brother. The city was to be a mission city for disseminating Greco-Asiatic culture and language in the eastern part of Lydia and in Phrygia. Its success is attested by the fact that the Lydian language ceased to be spoken in Lydia by A.D. 19 and Greek took over (Ramsay, Seven Churches, p. 391). But beyond this language achievement, Philadelphia had not been successful in converting the Phrygians (Barclay, Seven Churches, p. 80).

According to Strabo, the whole region was earthquake prone (Geography 12.579; 13.628). In A.D. 17 an earthquake that destroyed Sardis and ten other cities also destroyed Philadelphia. Consequently, many people preferred to live in the rural area surrounding the city. The fear of earthquakes caused those who continued to live in the city to leave it at the slightest sign of a tremor.

After the devastating earthquake, Tiberius came to the peoples' aid and had the city rebuilt. In gratitude the citizens renamed it Neocaesarea ("New Caesar"). Later the name was changed to Flavia (A.D. 70-79), and this, along with Philadelphia, continued to be its name through the second and third centuries A.D. Later, the establishment of the emperor cult in the city earned it the title "Neokoros," or "Temple Warden" (c. 211-17). In the fifth century, it was nicknamed "Little Athens" because of its proliferation of festivals and pagan cults. Whether this indicates something of its early period is uncertain. Since wine was one of the city's important industries, some have assumed that the worship of Dionysus was a chief pagan cult in it (Swete, p. 52).

Although nothing is known about the origin of the Philadelphian church, in A.D. 100-160 the church prospered under the ministry of a prophetess named Ammia, who was universally recognized as ranking with Agabus and the four daughters of Philip in her possession of the gift of prophecy (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 5.17.2). Long after all the surrounding country had succumbed to Muslim control under Turkey, Philadelphia held out as a Christian populace till 1392. Even Gibbon admired its fortitude (Ramsay, Seven Churches, p. 400).

7 The letter to the church in Philadelphia begins with the speaker's identifying himself as "him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens, no one can shut; and what he shuts, no one can open." Each of these identifications calls attention to Jesus as the true Messiah. "Holy and true" relate to God himself and describe aspects of his presence among us (cf. 6:10). Holiness is the attribute of God whereby we sense the presence of the "Wholly Other," the one who says, "I am God, and not man—the Holy One among you" (Hos 11:9). He is the "True One" in that he is wholly trustworthy and reliable in his words and actions. For this congregation for whom Christ has only commendation, these titles would bring encouragement, despite their "little strength" (v. 8) to go on in their faithfulness, in contrast to those described in v. 9.

The reference to the "key of David" alludes to Isaiah 22:20ff. and the incident of transferring the post of secretary of state in Judah from the unfaithful Shebna to the faithful Eliakim. The "key" signifies the power of the keys that were normally held by the king himself, unless delegated to another. The use of the name "David" points to Christ as the Messiah, who alone determines who will participate in his kingdom and who will be turned away: "He opens, no one can shut;... he shuts, no one can open." This may allude to the false claims of certain Jews at Philadelphia who argued that they, not the heretical Nazarenes, would inherit the kingdom of David (v. 9) and thus excluded the followers of Jesus. But the true Messiah, Jesus, will exclude them!

8 Here the knowledge of the speaker and his verdict blend together in untarnished praise as in the letter to Smyrna. Between the declaration "I know your deeds" and the words "you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name" is the somewhat awkward interjection "See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut."

^{Since Christ has absolute authority from the Father, he has opened a door for the Philadelphians that even their enemies cannot close. But an open door to what? Swete (in loc.) sees an inference here to Philadelphia as a missionary city. As the easternmost of the seven cities and an outpost on the high tableland of upper Asia, it was effective in evangelizing the area with Hellenism. So the witness of the church in Philadelphia will be effective despite its small strength (1Cor 16:9; Col 4:3). Others feel that v. 8 refers to Christ's opening the door to his kingdom for those who love him and thus reinforces the statement in v. 7 about opening and shutting.}

Beckwith protests against the first view: "Such a reference to future missionary activity of the church is singularly out of place, thrust in as a parenthesis between the parts of a sentence concerned with commendation of the church for its steadfastness in the past" (p. 430). The context strongly favors the second view (so Ladd, Commentary on Revelation, in loc.). What became a serious problem at Sardis (v. 3) was not the case with the Philadelphian congregation, to whom the risen Christ said, "You have kept my word." They had been faithful to the Gospel and the apostles' teaching even during the trial of their faith alluded to in the words "and have not denied my name (cf. 2:13).

9 Here those opposing the witness of the congregation are characterized as "those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars." The words are like those spoken to the church in Smyrna (cf. comments on 2:9). A "synagogue of Satan" appears to describe a Jewish element that vehemently denied Jesus as the Messiah and that actively persecuted others who made this claim. A true Jew in the view of Jews like John and Paul is one who has found forgiveness and life in Jesus the Messiah, while a false Jew is one who rejects those who believe in Jesus and openly persecutes them; such a one is an antichrist (1 John 2:22).

In writing to the church in Philadelphia a few years later, Ignatius warned them not to listen to "any one propounding Judaism unto you" (To the Philadelphians 6. l)-a warning that might refer to certain Christians who tried to lead others into Judaism as did the Judaizers of Paul's day (Acts 15:1; Gal 3:4). Perhaps the words "have not denied my name" in v. 8 relate to this. But Christ will make those who have persecuted the followers of Jesus as heretics acknowledge that God is indeed with the church in Philadelphia and that they are not heretics but are God's people.

We catch a glimpse here of the ever-widening gap between Judaism and Christianity toward the end of the first century. The church is the true people of God, loved by Christ, and in some real sense inheritors of the covenant promises in the OT made to the people of God (Isa 43:4; 45:14; 49:23; 60:14). In these OT passages it is the Gentiles, or heathen nations, who bow before Israel and acknowledge that God is with them. In this letter Christ reverses these roles: his followers are the people of God, and Jewish unbelievers are the pagans who come and acknowledge the love of the Messiah for the church! There is, however, no indication of when such acknowledgment will come or of what nature it will be. Ladd (Commentary on Revelation, p. 61) sees this as a fulfillment of Paul's expectation of the conversion of "all Israel" (i.e., of the majority of the Jewish people) at some time in the future (Rom 11:25-26; cf. esp. v. 28). Most commentaries evade this issue.

Against Ladd's view, however, is the fact that the context seems to require retribution on Christ's enemies, not their conversion. Be that as it may, underlying v. 9 is the same truth Paul expressed in Philippians 2:10-11: "At the name of Jesus every knee should bow,... and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Some will do this joyfully and some remorsefully—not penitently (cf. 6:12-17). Mounce (Revelation, p. 118) calls this the eschatological interpretation and refers to Isaiah 60:14 ("the sons of your oppressors will come bowing before you") where Israel in the eschatological future will receive the acknowledgment from the pagan nations that their God is indeed the true Lord. What the Jews expected from the pagans, they themselves will be forced to render to the followers of Jesus.

10 This is another promise given the church in Philadelphia. Though not part of the promise to the overcomers in Philadelphia (v. 12), like the special promises to Smyrna and Sardis (2:10; 3:4), it may be taken as a promise to all the churches. The words "since you have kept my command to endure patiently" (lit., "kept the word of my patience") refer to the condition under which the promise is valid. Some translate the phrase as in NIV, inferring that the "word of my patience" means the command of Christ to endure suffering, or to endure till he returns (Luke 21:19; cf. Heb 10:36). Others translate it as "the word enjoining Christ's patient endurance" (Ladd, Commentary on Revelation, p. 61). In that case it would refer to an apostolic teaching (such as Paul's) encouraging Christians to endure the contrariness of a sinful world after the pattern of Christ's own endurance (2 Thess 3:5; Heb 12:3). The Greek text slightly favors the latter translation, though the former is also possible.

Related to the promise "I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth" are two problems: the identification of the "hour of trial" and the precise sense of the phrase "keep you from the hour of trial." Both involve the ongoing debate among evangelical eschatologists over the Tribulation-Rapture question.

We can dismiss the view that the "hour of trial" refers to some general or personal distress that will come upon the Philadelphian community and from which the church will be delivered (so J. Barton Payne, The Imminent Appearing of Christ [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1962], pp. 78-79). Though the universality of the expression "the whole world" is reason enough to refute Payne's view, the phrase "those who live on the earth" is repeated in Revelation a number of times and refers not to believers but to unbelievers who are the objects of God's wrath—i. e., the "beast-worshipers" (6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 12:12; 13:8, 12, 14; cf. Isa 24; Jer 13:12-14; IQH 8.19-36).

According to some interpreters (Ladd, Mounce, Walvoord), the "hour of trial" (horas tou peirasmou, "time of temptation") is better understood as the time known to the Jews as the "messianic woes," a time of intense trouble to fall on the world before the coming of Christ and known as the eschatological "day of the Lord," or the "Great Tribulation (Dan 12:1; Joel 2:31; Mark 13:14; 2 Thess 2:1-12; Rev 14:7). This "hour of trial," then, will be the one described in such detail in the following chapters of the book. In that case what, then, is the effect of the promise "I will also keep you from the hour of trial"? There are two possibilities. Some argue, with reference to the same Greek expression (tereo ek, "keep from") in John 17:15, that the sense is preservation while in the trial, since to be kept from evil or the evil one does not mean to be removed from his presence but simply to be kept from his harmful power. Therefore, the church universal will experience preservation from harm in the trial of persecution and suffering and will not be raptured till the end of the period (Ladd; cf. 1 Thess 4:13ff.).

On the other hand, some writers offer these objections to this exegesis: (1) The "hour of trial" John describes is a judgment from God on the unbelieving inhabitants of the world, not a form of evil such as John 17:15 describes. (2) It is not true that the saints of the Tribulation period are exempt from harm during this period; a great group of them will be martyred (6:9-11; 7:9-14, etc.). (3) In the Gospel of John, preservation is from the devil; in Revelation, from a time period—the "hour" of trial (J.B. Smith, pp. 88-89).

Ladd offsets some of this criticism by advocating that the hour of trial has two aspects—the fierce persecution of believers by the beast and the outpouring of divine judgments on a rebellious world represented in the trumpet and bowl plagues. Believers are kept from the harm of the latter but not the former (Commentary on Revelation, p. 62). The difficulty in this view lies in Ladd's failure to identify clearly the hour of trial in this verse. It cannot refer to both the Great Tribulation (7:14) on believers and the wrath of God.

In our opinion, this confusion may be avoided by clearly identifying "the hour of trial" as the wrath of God, deliverance from which is promised to every one of Christ's overcomers. As a matter of fact, the expression tereo ek ("keep out of") cannot be proved exegetically to be different from tereo apo ("keep from"). In the LXX of Proverbs 7:5 the sense of this latter expression is to deliver the man from contact with or the presence of the harlot. In James 1:27 the same expression means to be kept from the pollution of the world. In both instances the sense is that of exemption from something. Can one, then, be exempt from the "hour of trial" that will try the whole world by famines, earthquakes, wars, floods, etc., and still be present on the earth? Yes, but removal is still a possible method of protection.

The above discussion shows that v. 10 does not settle the question of the time of the Rapture in relation to the Tribulation. Rather, it remains ambiguous. One might be on the earth and yet be exempt from the "hour of trial" if (1) the "hour of trial" is an equivalent derived from the briefer term "trial" and (2) if this "trial" is directed only at the unbelievers in the world while the believers are divinely immune, not from trial or persecution in general, but from a specific type of trial (God's wrath) that is aimed at the rebellious on the earth. To this writer, the most natural way to understand the expression to be "kept from the hour" of something that is universal in the world is not to be preserved through it but to be kept from being present when it happens. In any event, we have here a marvelous promise of Christ's protection (tereo, "keep") for those who have protected (tereo) his word by their loving obedience.

11 Here the words of Christ "I am coming soon" (cf. 22:7, 12, 20) are not a threat of judgment but a promise of Christ's second coming, such as the promise the faithful Christians in Thyatira received (2:25). The testing that faced the Philadelphians was not the same as that facing the unbelieving earth dwellers (v. 10). Loyal disciples must face one type of conflict, the world with its earth dwellers quite another (Minear, I Saw a New Earth, in loc.). Some such conflict is envisioned when Christ says, "Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown." They had kept his word and had not denied his name in the face of persecution. Either Satan or men could rob them of their crown by diverting them from exclusive loyalty to Jesus (on crown, see comments on 2:10).

12 The promise to the overcomer is again twofold and related to the experience and memory of the inhabitants of the city. First, Christ will make the overcomer a "pillar in the temple of my God." As has already been noted, the city was constantly threatened with earthquakes. Often the only parts of a city left standing after a severe quake were the huge stone temple columns. Christ promises to set believers in his temple (the future kingdom?) in such a secure fashion that no disturbance can ever force them out.

Moreover, a faithful municipal servant or a distinguished priest was sometimes honored by having a special pillar added to one of the temples and inscribed with his name (Barclay, Seven Churches, p. 89). This may well be the sense of the second promise, "I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem,... and... my new name." The inscribed name signifies identification and ownership. To those who have "little strength" (little influence) because of being ostracized, Christ promises recognition in his kingdom worthy of the most noble hero of any society.

Remembering how in days past the changes of name their city received (e.g., Neocaesarea; see comments on v.7), the Philadelphians would be impressed that God himself (not the emperor) had chosen to identify himself with them and to insure their citizenship in the New Jerusalem (cf. 21:2ff.; Ezek 48:35). Christ's "new name" could be either the unknown name that he alone knows, signifying his absolute power over all other powers (19:12), or the new name of Christ given to the believer, i.e., his possession by Christ through redemption (Isa 62:2; 65:15).

13 The general exhortation follows the promise. (See comments in the introduction to the seven letters.)

Notes

10 A recent addition to the whole debate is Robert Gundry's The Church and the Tribulation (Grand Rapids Zondervan, 1973), pp. 53-61. Gundry follows closely Ladd's views on this question, yet with much more elaborate weaponry.

Commenting on Rev 15:1, Victorinus (d. c. 303) says, "For the wrath of God always strikes the obstinate people with seven plagues, that is, perfectly, as it is said in Leviticus; and these shall be in the last time, when the Church shall have gone out of the midst" (italics mine) (ANF, 7:357).

7. To Laodicea (3:14-22)

Laodicea was about forty-five miles southeast of Philadelphia and about one hundred miles due east of Ephesus. Along with Colosse and Hierapolis, it was one of the cities in the fertile Lyous valley. The great Roman road stretching to the inland of Asia from the coast at Ephesus ran straight through its center, making Laodicea an important center of trade and communication. In addition, its wealth came from the production of a fine quality of famous glossy black wool—whether dyed or natural in color is not known. That the city's banking assets were noteworthy is evidenced by the fact that Cicero cashed huge bank drafts in Laodicea. So wealthy was Laodicea that after the great earthquake of A.D. 17, which destroyed it, the people refused imperial help in rebuilding the city, choosing rather to do it entirely by themselves.

Laodicea had a famous school of medicine; and a special ointment known as "Phrygian powder," famous for its cure of eye defects, was either manufactured or distributed there, as were ear ointments also. Near the temple of the special god associated with healing, Men Karou (who later became identified with Asclepius), there was a market for trading all sorts of goods (Ramsay, Seven Churches, p. 417). Zeus, the supreme god, was also worshiped in the city.

Ramsay notes that Laodicea is difficult to describe because no one thing stands out. There were no excesses or notable achievements to distinguish it. It was a city with a people who had learned to compromise and accommodate themselves to the needs and wishes of others (ibid., p. 423). They did not zealously stand for anything. A six-mile-long aqueduct brought Laodicea its supply of water from the south. The water came either from hot springs and was cooled to lukewarm or came from a cooler source and warmed up in the aqueduct on the way. For all its wealth, the city had poor water. A large and influential Jewish population resided there. As for the church in Laodicea, it may have been founded by Epaphras (Col 4:12-13).

14 The speaker identifies himself by a threefold affirmation: "The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation." The normal Hebrew adverb that is rendered by the Greek amen means the acknowledgment of that which is sure and valid. It is a word of human response to the divine verity or action. Jesus is the "Amen" in the sense that he is the perfect human, obedient response to the divine promises (cf. Isa 65:16; TDNT, 1:337). Jesus response to God's will was the perfect response of obedience and suffering: he is the "faithful and true witness" (cf. comments on 1:5, on 9; and on 2:13). The same thought is expressed by Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:20: "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are `Yes' in Christ. And so through him the `Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God." In one sense, all Christians are called to be "little amens" after the example of Christ.

The "ruler" (arche, "source," "origin") further amplifies the Amen statement. Paul used arche in Colossians 1:18 to describe Christ as the source or origin of all creation (not the first created; cf. Prov 8:22; John 1:3), no doubt to correct a heresy. Since Colosse was a neighboring city of Laodicea, it is not improbable that the same heresy was also affecting the sister church at Laodicea. But this is not explicit. What is plain is this: When Christ addresses a church that is failing in loyalty and obedience, he is to them the "Amen" of God in faithfulness and in true witness, the only one who has absolute power over the world because he is the source and origin of all creation (1:17; 2:8; 22:13).

15-16 Sadly, the speaker's knowledge reveals an unqualified condemnation of the Laodicean church. The verdict is the exact opposite of the church's own evaluation and expectations. Their deeds were "neither cold nor hot." The expression "cold nor hot" may refer to their lack of zeal (v. 19) or their uselessness, for Christ says, "I wish you were either one or the other" (lit., "either cold or hot"). There is good reason why we should not try to take both of these words as if Christ meant I wish you were either spiritually cold (i.e., unsaved or hostile) or spiritually hot (i.e., alive and fervent). In the first place, it is inconceivable that Christ would wish that people were spiritually cold, or unsaved and hostile. Furthermore, the application of "hot" and "cold" to spiritual temperature, though familiar to us, would have been completely foreign to first-century Christians. The two adjectives in "neither hot nor cold" should be understood together as equivalent to "lukewarmness" (v. 16). That is to say, they were useless to Christ because they were complacent, self satisfied, and indifferent to the real issues of faith in him and of discipleship.

Since the city of Hierapolis, seven miles north of Laodicea, had famous "hot springs," it may be that similar springs were located south of Laodicea and affected the temperature of the water supply. "I am about to spit [emesai, `vomit'] you out of my mouth" seems to allude to the lukewarm water. "Cold" could refer to the useful cool water located at Colosse, less than ten miles away. "Hot" would remind the Laodiceans of the beneficial "hot springs" to the north of Hierapolis. Yet Laodicea, for all its wealth, had an insipid water supply—one that induced vomiting! Christ detests a Laodicean attitude of compromise, one that seeks easy accommodation and peace at any cost. With such a condition, he must deal harshly. To be a Christian means to be useful to Christ.

17 The deeper problem in the Laodicean church was not simply their indifference. It was their ignorance of their real condition: "You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.'" Observe the way this indictment is related to the general condition of the populace at large—rich in material possessions and self-sufficient. The spirit of the surrounding culture had crept into the congregation and had paralyzed their spiritual life. But did they actually claim to be materially rich or spiritually rich? Since it is difficult to see how a Christian community would boast of material wealth, many prefer the latter interpretation. Yet the Laodiceans may have interpreted their material wealth as a blessing from God and thus have been self-deceived as to their true spiritual state. In any case, they had misread their true condition.

Christ's revelation of the Laodiceans' actual situation shatters their illusions and calls them to repentance: "But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." Probably the first two characteristics—"wretched" and "pitiful"- are to be linked together, while the latter three explain this twofold condition in more detail (cf. v. 18). They are not, as they thought, rich and without need; they are pitifully wretched and in great need, being "poor, blind and naked." Conversely, Jesus said to the church at Smyrna, "I know... your poverty—yet you are rich!" (2:9).

To be "wretched" physically describes life when everything one owns has been destroyed or plundered by war (Ps 137:8 LXX). Here it refers to the Laodiceans' spiritual destitution and pitiableness before God. "Poor, blind and naked" refer to the three sources of their miserable condition. "Lukewarmness," then, does not refer to the laxity of Christians but the condition of not really knowing Christ as Savior and Lord and thus being useless to him. Origen likewise understood the passage to refer not to lapsed Christians but to the unregenerate (Principiis 3.4.3).

18 The commands of Christ correspond exactly to the self-deceptions of the Laodiceans. Gold, a source of the wealth of the city, was to be bought from Christ and to become the spiritually poverty-stricken's true wealth. Their shameful nakedness was to be clothed, not by purchasing the sleek, black wool of Laodicea, but by buying from Christ the white clothing that alone can cover shameful nakedness (16:15). For those who were blind to their true condition, the "Phrygian powder" was useless (cf. comments on v. 14). They needed to buy salve from Christ so that they could truly see. The reference to buying would recall the famous market near the temple of Men Karou, where the commodities manufactured at Laodicea could be bought, along with imports from other areas. But to what do gold, white clothes, and salve symbolically refer? Minear suggests the following:

The only cure for poverty-stricken disciples was to purchase from Christ gold which is refined in the agonies of the shared passion. For their nakedness (did Hans Christian Andersen find here the theme of "The Emperor's New Clothes"?) the only recourse was to buy such clothes as the naked Christ had worn on the cross. The blindness of self-deception could be cured only by understanding the correlation between Christ's love and his discipline These three purchases constitute a substantial definition of the kind of zeal and repentance which was the burden of all John's prophecies. The thrust of these commands moves in the direction of rigorous warning They are tantamount to saying "Open your eyes" and "Carry your cross." This letter argues against the widespread assertion of many interpreters to the effect that John's chief concern was to provide consolation to a persecuted church. Nearer the mark would be the opposite assertion; bkthat John, like Jesus, was concerned to bring not peace but a sword (I Saw a New Earth, p. 57).

The three figures all point to the Laodiceans' need of authentic salvation through Christ.

19 Even though the state of a church, such as that in Laodicea verges on disaster, all is not lost if there are those in it who will receive Christ's loving rebuke and come back to him. "I love" is the Greek phileo ("to have affection for"). This verb does not necessarily connote a lower level of love than agapao. Sometimes it has the force of agapao (e.g., John 5:20; 16:27; 20:22; cf. BAG, s.v.). Christ's statement "I rebuke and discipline" speaks of his love (Prov 3:12; 1Cor 11:32; Heb 12:6). He spits out those he does not love and "rebukes" (elencho, "reproves," "convicts") and disciplines those who hear his voice. The difference between the expelled and the disciplined lies in their response: "So be earnest [zeleuo, `zealous,' `enthusiastic'] and repent." The Laodiceans' repentance would come from a rekindling of their loyalty to Christ.

20 To those who hear the words of rebuke, Christ extends an invitation to dine with him. Some older commentators find the reference to the "door" as parallel to the new age that will dawn at the advent of Christ (Swete, Beckwith; cf. Matt 24:33; James 5:9). So the challenge is to be ready to enter the banquet of Christ at his return. This view, however, does not seem to fit the immediate context, nor does it agree with other NT teaching on the Lord's return.

Others hold that the figure represents Christ standing at the door to the hearts of the members of the congregation at Laodicea. Christ will come and have fellowship with anyone who hears his voice of rebuke and thus proves himself Christ's friend by zeal and repentance. The "eating" (deipneo) refers to the main meal of the day, which in Oriental fashion was a significant occasion for having intimate fellowship with the closest of friends. It is through the Holy Spirit that Christ and the Father come to have fellowship with us (John 14:23).

While most commentators have taken this invitation as addressed to lapsed, halfhearted Christians, the terminology and context (v. 18) suggest that these Laodiceans were for the most part mere professing Christians who lacked authentic conversion to Christ, which is the essential prerequisite for true discipleship. Verse 20 is, therefore, more evangelistic than admonitory. Those who find in it an allusion to the Lord's Supper may be right. Cullman sees v. 20 as a response to the old eucharistic prayer: Maranatha (marana tha, "Our Lord, come!") (Oscar Cullmann, Early Christian Worship [London: SCM, 1953], in loc.).

21 The promise to the overcomers concerns the sharing in Christ's future reign in the eschatological kingdom: "I will give the right to sit with me on my throne." Such a joint reign with Christ has already been referred to earlier in the book (1:6, 9; 2:26-27) and appears later on (5:10; 20:4-6). The kingdom reign is also a theme in other NT writings (Luke 22:28-30; Rom 8:17; 2Tim 2:12). As Christ overcame through his suffering and death (John 16:33) and entered into the highest honor God could bestow, that of being seated at his "right hand" of sovereignty (Mark 16:19; Acts 2:22ff.; Rev 22:1), so believers who suffer with Christ even to the point of death will share in the honor of Christ's exalted position. The distinction between the Father's throne and Christ's throne is no mere rhetoric. On the contrary, it differentiates aspects of God's program in history (1Cor 15:24-28). Christ is reigning now, for there is a sense in which the eschatological or messianic kingdom of God was inaugurated in Christ's earthly ministry, death, and resurrection. But the promise here, as elsewhere in the NT, foresees a final earthly consummation of the kingdom that awaits the return of Christ.

22 The general exhortation closes the seventh letter (cf. comments in the introduction to the seven letters).

Notes

15-16 On the meaning of "hot" and "cold" and "lukewarm" as related to the city water supply and the consequent reinterpretation this suggests, see the helpful article by M.J.S. Rudwick and E.M.B. Green, "The Laodicean Lukewarmness," ET, 69 (1958), 176-78.

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E. The letter to the church in Sardis (3:1-6)

1. Destination (3:1a)

3:1a. The important commercial city of Sardis was located about 30 miles southeast of Thyatira, on an important trade route that ran east and west through the kingdom of Lydia. Important industries included jewelry, dye, and textiles, which had made the city wealthy. From a religious standpoint it was a center of pagan worship and site of a temple of Artemis, which ruins still remain (cf. comments on 2:1 regarding another temple of Artemis). Only a small village called Sart remains on the site of this once-important city. Archeologists have located the ruins of a Christian church building next to the temple. In addressing the message to the church Christ described Himself as the One who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars, similar to the description in 1:4. Here Christ said He holds them, speaking of the Holy Spirit in relation to Himself (Isa. 11:2-5; cf. Rev. 5:6). As in 1:20 the seven stars, representing the pastors of the churches, were also in His hands (cf. 2:1).

2. Commendation (3:1b)

3:1b. The only word of approval is in actuality a word of rebuke as Christ declared that they had a reputation for being alive and apparently were regarded by their contemporaries as an effective church.

3. Rebuke (3:1c, 2b)

3:1c, 2b. Christ quickly stripped away their reputation of being alive by declaring, you are dead. Like the Pharisees, their outer appearance was a facade hiding their lack of life (cf. Matt. 23:27-28). Christ added, I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of My God. They were falling far short of fulfilling their obligations as believers.

4. Exhortation (3:2a, 3)

3:2a, 3. They were exhorted to wake up from their spiritual slumber and to strengthen the few evidences of life they still had. He exhorted them to remember... obey... and repent. He warned them that if they did not heed this exhortation, He would come on them like a thief, that is, suddenly and unexpectedly.

5. Promise (3:4-6)

3:4-6. While this church as a whole was dead or dying, Christ recognized a godly remnant in the Sardis church who had not soiled their clothes with sin. He promised that true believers will be dressed in white (cf. v. 18), symbolic of the righteousness of God, that their names will remain in the book of life, and that He will acknowledge them as His own before His Father and His angels.

The statement that their names will not be erased from the book of life presents a problem to some. But a person who is truly born again remains regenerate, as John said elsewhere (John 5:24; 6:35-37, 39; 10:28-29). While this passage may imply that a name could be erased from the book of life, actually it only gives a positive affirmation that their names will not be erased (cf. Walvoord, Revelation. pp. 82, 338). Six times John referred to the book of life (Rev. 3:5; 13:8 [cf. comments there]; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27).

The letter also concludes with the exhortation to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The letter to Sardis is a searching message to churches today that are full of activity and housed in beautiful buildings but are so often lacking in evidences of eternal life. Christ's word today is to "remember," "repent," and "obey," just as it was to the church in Sardis.

F. The letter to the church in Philadelphia (3:7-13)

1. Destination (3:7)

3:7. The city of Philadelphia was 28 miles southeast of Sardis. It was located in an area noted for its agricultural products but afflicted with earthquakes which destroyed the city several times, most recently about a.d. 37. The city was named for a king of Pergamum, Attalus Philadelphus, who had built it. "Philadelphus" is similar to the Greek word philadelphia, meaning "brotherly love," which occurs seven times in the Bible (Rom. 12:10; 1 Thes. 4:9; Heb. 13:1; 1 Peter 1:22; 2 Peter 1:7 [twice]; Rev. 3:7). Only here is it used of the city itself. Christian testimony continues in the city in this present century.

Christ described Himself as the One who is holy and true, who holds the key of David, and who is able to open or shut a door which no one else could open or shut. The holiness of Christ is a frequent truth in Scripture (1 Peter 1:15), and being holy He is worthy to judge the spiritual life of the Philadelphia church. "The key of David" seems to refer to Isaiah 22:22, where the key of the house of David was given to Eliakim who then had access to all the wealth of the king. Christ earlier had been described as the One who holds "the keys of death and hades" (Rev. 1:18). The reference here, however, seems to be to spiritual treasures.

2. Commendation (3:8-9)

3:8. As in the messages to the other churches, Christ stated, I know your deeds. In keeping with the description of His authority to open and close doors (v. 7), He declared, See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. There is no word of rebuke, though Christ said, I know that you have little strength. These words, however, become a basis for His commendation that you have kept My word and have not denied My name.

3:9. Christ referred to their enemies as the synagogue of Satan (cf. 2:9). They were Jews who opposed the believers' Christian testimony. False religion has always been a formidable antagonist against true Christian faith. The day will come, however, when all opponents of the faith will have to acknowledge the truth (cf. Isa. 45:23; Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:10-11). Then Christ declared, I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.

3. Promise (3:10-12)

3:10. The church in Philadelphia received no rebuke from Christ. Instead they were commended and given a promise because they had been willing to endure patiently. The promise was, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. This is an explicit promise that the Philadelphia church will not endure the hour of trial which is unfolded, beginning in Revelation 6. Christ was saying that the Philadelphia church would not enter the future time of trouble; He could not have stated it more explicitly. If Christ had meant to say that they would be preserved through a time of trouble, or would be taken out from within the Tribulation, a different verb and a different preposition would have been required.

Though scholars have attempted to avoid this conclusion in order to affirm posttribulationism, the combination of the verb "keep" (tērein) with the preposition "from" (ek) is in sharp contrast to the meaning of keeping the church "through" (dia), a preposition which is not used here. The expression "the hour of trial" (a time period) makes it clear that they would be kept out of that period. It is difficult to see how Christ could have made this promise to this local church if it were God's intention for the entire church to go through the Tribulation that will come on the entire world. Even though the church at Philadelphia would go to glory via death long before the time of trouble would come, if the church here is taken to be typical of the body of Christ standing true to the faith, the promise seems to go beyond the Philadelphia church to all those who are believers in Christ (cf. Walvoord, Revelation, pp. 86-8).

3:11. Additional promises were given. Christ promised, I am coming soon, a concept repeated often in the Book of Revelation. The thought is not simply that of coming soon but coming suddenly or quickly (cf. 1:1; 2:16). They were exhorted in the light of His coming to continue to hold on to what they have.

3:12. Everyone who is an overcomer will become a pillar in the temple of... God. This is of course symbolic of the permanent place in heaven for believers, referred to here as the temple of God. The entire New Jerusalem will be the ultimate temple (21:22). In contrast to earthly temples and earthly pillars which fall, believers will continue forever in the temple. Christ specified that He was referring to the city of My God, that is, the New Jerusalem (cf. 21:2). He repeated His promise: I will also write on him My new name (cf. 2:17; 14:1; 19:12). Because believers have identified with Christ by faith, He will identify Himself with them.

4. Exhortation (3:13)

3:13. The letter closed with the familiar appeal, hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The promise given to the Philadelphia church and the challenge to continue to be faithful is certainly God's Word to His whole church today.

G. The letter to the church in Laodicea (3:14-22)

1. Destination (3:14)

3:14. The wealthy city of Laodicea was located on the road to Colosse about 40 miles southeast of Philadelphia. About 35 years before this letter was written, Laodicea was destroyed by an earthquake, but it had the wealth and ability to rebuild. Its main industry was wool cloth. There is no record that Paul ever visited this city, but he was concerned about it (Col. 2:1-2; 4:16).

In addressing the church Christ introduced Himself as the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Ruler of God's creation. The word "Amen," meaning "so be it," refers to the sovereignty of God which is behind human events (cf. 2 Cor. 1:20; Rev. 1:6). In speaking of Himself as "the faithful and true Witness" Christ was repeating what He had said earlier (1:5; 3:7). As "the Ruler of God's creation" Christ existed before God's Creation and is sovereign over it (cf. Col 1:15, 18; Rev. 21:6). This description was in preparation for the stern word of rebuke which Christ would give the church in Laodicea.

2. Rebuke (3:15-17)

3:15-16. No word of commendation was extended to the Laodicean church. They were pictured as utterly abhorrent to Christ because they were lukewarm. This was addressed to the church and also to the messenger or the pastor whom some believe was Archippus (Col. 4:17). It is improbable, however, that Archippus, if he had been the pastor of the church, was still living. In referring to the church as "lukewarm" Christ had in mind that this was its permanent situation. In their feasts as well as in their religious sacrifices people in the ancient world customarily drank what was either hot or cold—never lukewarm. This rebuke would have been especially meaningful to this church, for water was piped to the city from Hierapolis, a few miles north. By the time the water reached Laodicea, it was lukewarm!

3:17. Their being lukewarm spiritually was evidenced by their being content with their material wealth and their being unaware of their spiritual poverty. Christ used strong words to describe them: wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.

3. Exhortation (3:18-19)

3:18-19. They were urged to buy not ordinary gold, but refined gold, referring to that which would glorify God and make them truly rich. Through its banking industry the city had material wealth. But the church lacked spiritual richness. Though they had beautiful clothes, they were urged to wear white clothes (cf. v. 4), symbolic of righteousness which would cover their spiritual nakedness. As wool was a major product of the area, Laodicea was especially famous for a black garment made out of black wool. What they needed instead was pure white clothing.

Then Christ exhorted them to put salve... on their eyes. A medical school was located in Laodicea at the temple of Asclepius, which offered a special salve to heal common eye troubles of the Middle East. What they needed was not this medicine but spiritual sight. The church at Laodicea is typical of a modern church quite unconscious of its spiritual needs and content with beautiful buildings and all the material things money can buy. This is a searching and penetrating message. To all such the exhortation is be earnest, and repent. Christ rebuked them because He loved them, which love would also bring chastisement on this church.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.

4. Promise (3:20-22):20-21. Dramatically Christ pictured Himself as standing outside and knocking on a door. In a familiar painting the latch is not shown but is assumed to be on the inside. The appeal is for those who hear to open the door. To them Christ promised, I will go in and eat with him, and he with Me. With Christ on the outside, there can be no fellowship or genuine wealth. With Christ on the inside, there is wonderful fellowship and sharing of the marvelous grace of God. This was an appeal to Christians rather than to non-Christians. This raises the important question concerning the extent of one's intimate fellowship with Christ. To those who respond, Christ promises to give the right to sit with Him on His throne and share His victory.

3:22. Once again the invitation to listen and respond is given: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

The letters to the seven churches are a remarkably complete treatment of problems that face the church today. The recurring dangers of losing their first love (2:4), of being afraid of suffering (2:10), doctrinal defection (2:14-15), moral departure (2:20), spiritual deadness (3:1-2), not holding fast (v. 11), and lukewarmness (vv. 15-16) are just as prevalent today as they were in first-century churches. Because these letters come from Christ personally, they take on significance as God's final word of exhortation to the church down through the centuries. The final appeal is to all individuals who will hear. People in churches today would do well to listen.