FRIDAY
The last two churches are Sardis and Philadelphia.
Revelation 3:1-6 To the Church in Sardis
1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
“ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
This church appeared healthy on the outside but in reality they were spiritually dead. Jesus calls them to wake up and strengthen the works that are incomplete. Jesus doesn’t mention specifics but from v. 3 He is most likely referring to the works required required in the gospel—faith that endures under persecution, love and charity for neighbor, etc.
Interestingly the city of Sardis had been destroyed by enemies twice in their history. In both instances the enemies climbed a hill that the city left unguarded and snuck into the city without anyone noticing. Being extra vigilant should be something everyone in Sardis understood. Yet the church was not vigilant in faith. This also makes sense of the judgment of v. 3 with the reference to a thief in the night.
Revelation 3:7-13 To the Church in Philadelphia
7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.
8 “ ‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, 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 from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
As we saw with Smyrna, Jesus has only good things to say about the church in Philadelphia. They have little power, yet they have remained faithful to the name and the way of Jesus.
Jesus says that he has set before them an open door. In the description of v. 7 Jesus is the one who opens and no one will shut and vice versa. This signifies the open door of salvation. Jesus has opened the door for them to be holy and experience the presence of God through belief in Jesus and what he has accomplished on the cross. No one can shut this door. The believers of Philadelphia are secure in Christ, the one in whom is all power, even though they have little power.
As with Smyrna, apparently the Jews had been reporting or harassing the Christians and handing them over to be persecuted. Jesus ensures the believers that he will vindicate them. The Jews bowing before the believers is a reversal of how the Jews would have perceived Isa. 60:14 and 49:23 which says that the nations will bow at the feet of the Jews. Here Jesus is emphasizing that the church is the fulfillment of Israel as the people of God. In the end, when Jesus returns to judge creation, the Jews will recognize that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. In this final judgment the believers will be kept from that trial.
Jesus says in v. 11 that he is coming soon. This is difficult to read two thousand years later. But in prophetic literature we must remember that time is often viewed as a whole. Christians have historically talked about the return of Christ as imminent. It can happen at any time so we must be ready for it. How God considers time is a mystery.
Additional Content
Reflection
Read all of the descriptions of those who conquer in the letters to these 7 churches. Be encouraged. Strengthen your faith. What awaits you is better than what we face now if we remain faithful to Jesus. We must gain an eternal perspective to remain faithful to Jesus amidst the trials of this life.
As C.S. Lewis has said, “Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’
The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’
To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’
The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star.
The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, 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 from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.
The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.