Revelation 3:1-13
As taught by Dave Lindstrom
I. Church #5: The Church at Sardis (Rev. 3:1-6).
A. A brief history of the city of Sardis: Sardis was located 30 miles south of Thyatira and was located on the main Roman trade and military routes. As a result, it was a very wealthy city and was known as the old capital city of Persia in Asia Minor. It was located on an elevated area 1500 feet from the valley below and so was a perfect military fortress for the kingdoms of Lydia, Persia, Greece, and Rome. It had impressive structures built through hundreds of years of history including the acropolis (a well fortified military structure), temples to Artemis (Cybele, Diana) and the Emperor, and the necropolis (huge cemetery). Their main industry at 95 A.D. (the time of Revelation) was woolen goods and clothing. However, most of the city’s wealth accumulated from its past history and so it had become prideful, lethargic, and morally compromised.
B. Christ’s attributes, assessments, and award for the congregation at Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6).
1. Christ’s attributes for the church to meditate on are found in Rev. 3:1b. He identifies Himself as the one who has the seven Spirits of God which communicates the Holy Spirit’s blessing, anointing, and teaching (Rev. 1:4; Zech. 4:1-10). He also identifies Himself as the churches’ powerful protector and sovereign ruler as the one who has the seven stars
(Rev. 1:16, 20). This church by thinking about these things should return to living a life in Yahweh’s Spirit and power and stop relying on their own selves.
2. Christ’s assessment of the churches’ situation and problem (Rev. 3:1c-4).
a. Christ does not commend this church for its work (only this one and Laodicea receive no commendation). This church is thought of by others and themselves to be spiritually alive but Christ says they are dead (“necros” Greek) (Rev. 3:1c).
b. Christ commands His congregation in Sardis to wake up and to watch constantly (present tense). Whatever this church was doing for Christ was not found to be done correctly (complete, to the full). This probably meant that there were either bad doctrine, personal boasting, immorality, or/and ulterior motives involved with the works (Rev. 3:2; I Cor. 4:1-5; II Cor. 11:1-6; I John 2:16).
c. Christ commands His congregation in Sardis to correct the problem with a three-fold formula: 1) Remember! (what they have received from Christ and His teaching), 2) Keep it!, and 3) Repent! (change your mind and turn). If they refuse to do these things, Christ will come to them like a thief which probably means that He will remove them as one of His churches (Rev. 3:3, 2:5).
d. Christ does comfort a few in the church who have not soiled their clothes. The white clothes probably relate to the wedding and feast garments of the saints (Rev. 19:7, 8) or the victorious white garments worn after a battle victory in the Roman empire (Rev. 3:4).
3. Christ’s award for the overcomers in Sardis (Rev. 3:5, 6).
a. They are promised white clothes (verse 4) having their names stay in the book of life (all humans start out in the book but non-believers in Yahweh Christ’s righteousness choosing instead self-righteousness get blotted out, Dan. 12:1; Luke 10:20; Phil. 4:3; Heb. 12:23; Rev. 13:8, 17:8, 20:15, 21:27) and acknowledgement before Yahweh Father and the angels.
b. There is a universal call to all of Christ’s churches then and now to hear and obey this message.
THOUGHT: How do churches that were once alive become dead? What can we do to prevent dying as a church?
II. Church #6: The Church at Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13).
A. A brief history of the city of Philadelphia: Philadelphia was located 25 miles southeast of Sardis and 100 miles east of Smyrna. It was a wealthy city which traded in textile, leather, and wine. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 17 A.D. along with 10 other cities in the area but was rebuilt by Tiberias Caesar. In honor to Caesar, the city changed its name to Neocaesarea for over 30 years but by 95 A.D. (the time of Revelation) it went by the names of Philadelphia or Flavia. It had temples dedicated to emperor worship, Zeus, and shrines to pagan cults. There was also a large Jewish Synagogue in the city. Between the immorality of the culture and persecution, the church had many difficulties.
B. Christ’s attributes, assessment, and award for the congregation at Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13).
1. Christ’s attributes for the church to meditate on are found in Revelation 2:7. He identifies Himself as the Holy One (“set apart” for the Father’s purposes, Isaiah 6:3), the True One (perfectly trustworthy, what He said and says He will do, as an example Isaiah 9:1, 2; Matt. 4:12-16), and the One who has the key of David. The key to King David’s treasury (Isaiah 22:22) is given ultimately to the Holy True Messiah from David’s line, Jesus Christ, which opens the door to His Kingdom (Matt. 16:19).
2. Christ’s assessment of the situation without a rebuke (Revelation 3:8-11).
a. Christ knows that this congregation has been suffering (little strength) and persecuted but has kept His word and not denied His name. He continues to set before them this open door into the Kingdom blessings and possibly ministry (verse 8; Col. 4:3; Rev. 21:25).
b. Christ knows that this congregation is being persecuted by the Jewish community. He tells this predominately Gentile church that His true Jews would receive their Messiah as the Philadelphian church has already done. Christ loves (“agapao” Greek) this church and all people will see this in His fulfilled Kingdom (vs. 9; Dan. 7:27; Phil. 2:10, 11).
c. Christ knows that the Philadelphia congregation has kept His word through suffering times by enduring (“remaining under” Greek) in Christ’s strength (verse 10a). Since they were willing to endure now, they and future patient endurers will be kept from a future time of trial and tribulation which will come upon the whole earth (verse 10b, c). Most dispensationalists believe the rapture will take the church out of this world before the hour of trial or great tribulation happens on this earth (Daniel 12:1; Matt. 24:21; I Thes. 4:17; Rev. 7:14). Most other groups see this as Christ’s preservation and strength to His believers through the great trials in this world (James 1:27).
d. Christ encourages His suffering Church with His soon coming. The idea of “soon” should be looked at from the perspective of wrapping up prophetic events and Yahweh’s grand timescale (Dan. 2:28, 45; Luke 18:8; 2 Pet. 3:8-13; Rev. 1:12, 22:6). As they hold on (to the Holy True Messiah), they will keep their crown (reward) (verse 11; James 1:12; Rev. 2:10).
3. Christ’s award for the overcoming Philadelphians (Rev. 3:12, 13).
a. They will be pillars in the Temple of God (probably relating to service in Christ’s kingdom being built properly on the apostles foundation, Rev. 21:14; Eph. 2:20-22). They will be written on by Christ Himself which means intimacy and ownership. Overcomers receive on their new bodies the name of Yahweh Father, the new Jerusalem, and Yahweh Jesus’ new name (verse 12; Eze. 48:35; Rev. 19:12-22:5).
b. There is a universal call to all of Christ’s churches then and now to hear and obey this message.
THOUGHT: Jesus promises future glories to those who will patiently trust, keep His word, endure, and follow Him now!
