Bible Commentaries
Revelation 3

Verses 1-7

SARDIS IN THE OBITUARY

…I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.Revelation 3:1

The church at Sardis has a great reputation, but in truth, she is already dead. Still Jesus' loving words to this dying assembly are, "Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God" (3:2).

What words of judgment and exhortation for our day! In Revelation 3:4-6, we see that dying churches can still be made into overcoming ones. The message to this dying church is, "Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." ^(F1)

Even in the pagan world, soiled clothing prohibited worshippers from entering their temples.^(F2) How much more this must be the case concerning the temple of the Living God? While many in our age have their garments soiled and defiled with sin, there are some who still remain undefiled. In the end-day they will shine in bridal glory in the presence of the Lamb (cf. 19:7-8).

Verses 8-14

FAITHFUL PHILADELPHIA

…I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Revelation 3:8

The faithful church at Philadelphia is commended by the Spirit. Jesus makes his people a great and enlightening promise, "Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth" (3:10). Obviously, this promise and warning has world-wide implications. It also has implications for present-day Christendom. We must quickly prepare ourselves and get ready for horribly difficult times.

Once again, in very simple terms, Revelation makes plain that an hour of deep trial is about to come upon the church and the whole world. This time has been called one of "Messianic woes." ^(F3) Such a time must accompany the coming kingdom.

There is no idea here that the saints will entirely escape this ordeal.^(F4) Jesus once said in John 17:15, "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one." The coming flames will test the work of Christians everywhere. Some will literally escape with their shirttails on fire and all they have worked for will be lost (1 Corinthians 3:13). But those who overcome will be kept strong to the end and preserved blameless (1 Corinthians 1:8).

In 1 Peter 4:12-13 the apostle says, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."

Jesus says to this victorious church, "I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (3:11-13).

Later in the book we will see the Lord writing his name upon his saints and sealing them for the trouble ahead.

In the midst of the coming Great Tribulation there may be times when advance will be impossible, and when the saints will simply have to "hold on." For such as these, there is the promise of being pillars in God's temple, and having the Father's glorious name written upon them. Certainly, devout saints should even now be spending time in God's temple and in glorious fellowship with Jesus.

Verses 15-22

LUKEWARMLAODICEA

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! Revelation 3:15

Last of all, the Spirit speaks to the lukewarm church at Laodicea. Jesus is about to spew this people out of his mouth (3:16). This group, like many to come in the last days, feels it is rich, while in reality it is very poor and naked (3:17). Still the Lord stands knocking at the door of this lukewarm church, just as he must still be knocking at the doors of many lukewarm churches today. When Jesus was on earth he seemed concerned whether he would still be able to find faith at his coming (Luke 18:8).

He speaks these words to Laodicea, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (3:19-22).

The Lord here uses an expression he often used in his earthly ministry (Matthew 11:15; Mark 4:9). In fact, seven times now the Lord has said, "Whoever has ears, let them hear." This must be really important! We need to ask ourselves if we are hearing what the Lord is saying about the end-times (Mark 4:9, 24). Are we willing to love the truth and believe what the Bible says? Are we willing to love it more than we love our pet theologies? Since five out of seven churches had serious problems in the first century, we can only imagine what kind of problems we have in hearing and obeying the Lord's word today.

The Lord wants to impress upon us the great importance of overcoming. We must wake up and be alert. God is about to install his overcomers as kings and priests in the earth. This is almost an unthinkable thought – that they should sit with him on his throne. Yet, Christ even makes this promise to the weakest of the churches. He will make it a reality, if we only let him. Oh, the blessings in store for those who listen and are faithful!

We should mention, however, that overcoming may be best understood in the ironic sense as Beale points out.^(F5) Christ's overcoming was ironically accomplished by his death on the cross. He is even pictured triumphantly as a Lamb that was slain. We see that in the end-day the Beast also briefly overcomes the saints, apparently causing a great flood of martyrdom on their part. Our overcoming and ultimate victory may eventually follow a similar path as our Lord's.

With this, the personal messages to the individual churches are brought to an end. In view of such urgent warnings by the Lord himself, and with the remainder of Revelation in mind, it is certainly amazing that multitudes of western Christians today feel the church will not have to face suffering or tribulation. If such is the case, it would seem that all these urgent warnings from the risen Lord, and even the rest of the book of Revelation, are simply unnecessary.