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Here is a great church to attend in Trumbull County, Ohio
FAITH Baptist Church
1401 Shaw Avenue, Niles, Ohio 44446
(330) 652-8151
10:00 a.m. Sunday School
11:00 a.m. Morning Worship
6:30 p.m. Evening Worship
6:30 p.m. Wednesday Services
Pastor Lenny Towle, with wife, Mrs. Amy Towle
CHAPTER 3
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Sardis
VERSE 1 ​: (Chapter 3)
Sardis
"And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead."
The city of Sardis was the capital of Lydia in Asia Minor. It was nestled at the foot of Mount Tmolus on the Pactolus river. The Pactolus river helped make Sardis a wealthy, prosperous city because gold was found near its banks. The first coins were minted and distributed. The coins were made of an alloy of gold and silver. People became very greedy. This church age was focused on wealth and worldliness.
Like Pergamos and Thyatira, Sardis worshipped idols. The people of Sardis erected temples unto the pagan goddess Cybele whom they called the 'Mother Goddess'. They believed that Cybele gave birth to all the other gods as well as the first humans, animals, and nature. She was worshipped as the ‘universal mother’. This is so blasphemous to God, the creator of our universe. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).
Remember the first of the Ten Commandments? "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image (statue), or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God" (Exodus 20:3-5).
God is addressing the church of Sardis. He is reminding them of "He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars". In other words, He holds them in the palm of His hands. He has complete power over the seven churches. God also reminds this church that He watches them: "I know thy works".​
The Lord reminds them that they are saved. That He had given them eternal life. 1 John 5:11 says: "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." But this church age was 'dead' spiritually. They were not on fire for the Lord. They didn't care about serving Him. They were wrapped up in all the earthly pleasures that Sardis had to offer them. They didn't want to take time to live for the Lord. They were 'dead' to living for the Lord. "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Romans 8:6)
VERSE 2 ​: (Chapter 3)
Sardis
"Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God."
Luke 12:37 says: "Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching:" and 1 Peter 4:7 states: "But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer." Jesus also says in Mark 13:37: "And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." It is quite clear here that the Lord Jesus is telling the churches to pay attention and watch. What are the churches encouraged to watch for? Simpy put, the return of the Lord. We need to pay even more attention and watch as we are now in the last of the church ages.
Next in this verse we read: "strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die:" What things remain? Their faith in their Saviour was still there, but they had let their 'candle' go dim. In other words, they were not living for the Lord like He wants us to. They were getting comfortable in the world. Have you ever noticed what happens to a house if it is left vacant for a long period of time? It literally falls apart. A house must have someone living in it, or it will eventually decay. That is what God is saying here to His church. Sardis was like a home that was left alone a lot. They needed to get busy for the Lord.
Lastly, in this verse we read: "for I have not found thy works perfect before God." Here again, The Lord assures His churches that He watches our works. Not for salvation, but for rewards in Heaven. All through the church ages, the Lord tells His church that their 'works' are important to Him. But let's look at this part more clearly. The "I" here is the Lord Jesus speaking. He, Jesus, wants our works to be perfect "before God", the Father. Someday, the Lord Jesus Christ is going to present us, His church, to His Father. Ephesians 5:27 tells us: "That He (Jesus) might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." Jesus wants to be proud of us when He presents us to our Father. The church is the Lord's bride. He is the bridegroom, and He will present us to our Father. Would we want Jesus to feel ashamed of us when He presents us to His Father?
VERSE 3 ​: (Chapter 3)
Sardis
"Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee."
"Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent." Just like all the church ages, all must receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Romans 10:13 says: "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." This church had received Christ as their Saviour. They heard the Gospel how Christ died on the cross for their sins and rose again, and they accepted Him into their hearts. However, this church age was not following 1 Corinthians 10:31 which says: "... whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." This church had fallen into the 'hamster wheel' of life. They were living day to day - going to work, coming home, listening to the news - and never giving any thought to serving God. They were living this day in and day out. Sound familiar? God says repent. Get out of this routine. Serve Him.
The Lord gives a solemn warning. He says: "If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." The definition of a thief is someone who takes away secretly without the owner's knowledge. The Lord is not saying He is a thief. He is saying that as a thief does not give notice that he is coming, neither will the Lord give notice if Sardis does not repent. Did Sardis repent? Let's see...
VERSE 4 ​: (Chapter 3)
Sardis
"Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy."
The church age of Sardis went from about 1514 A.D. to about 1798. A lot went on during this age. Below is a list of events that occurred during the church age of Sardis:
1516 Erasmus, a Greek scholar, published a Greek translation of the New Testament which became the basis of the Textus Receptus for the Authorized King James Bible.
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1517 Martin Luther posts his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg, causing the beginning of the Reformation.
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1522 Martin Luther translates the New Testament into German
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1525 William Tyndale translated the New Testament into English then smuggled copies into England. William Tyndale was burned at the stake for doing this.
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1598 Christianity spreads throughout Thailand, Cambodia, Macao, South Korea, South America, and Africa.
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1601 China is evangelized.
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1605 'Gunpowder Plot' fails. Catholic fanatics attempt to kill England's King James I and blow up the houses of Parliament in order to seize the government.
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1609 Baptist Church is founded in Amsterdam by John Smyth.
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1611 King James Bible is published using the Greek and Hebrew manuscripts. Its completion took over six years.
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1620-1630 Separatists reject the Church of England and sail to America on the Mayflower.
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1642 Galileo, the scientist who agreed that the earth moved around the sun, died.
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1647 The Quaker Movement began under preacher George Fox.
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1654 Blaise Pascal, French mathematician and theologian, becomes a Christian.
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1678 John Bunyon wrote the classic Pilgrim Progress while in prison for his faith.
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1707 Issac Watts wrote over 600 hymns during his lifespan.
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1729 Jonathan Edwards, one of America's greatest preachers and theologians,
preaches in Northampton.
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1738 Charles Wesley wrote more than 6,000 hymns.
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1739 John Wesley traveled throughout Britain on horseback preaching over 40,000 sermons during his lifetime.
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1740 George Whitefield leads The Great Awakening in New England as revival spreads throughout colonial America.
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1741-1742 George Frideric Handel wrote the Messiah.
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1764 John Newton wrote the hymn Amazing Grace.
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1773 The first black independent Baptist church was established in America.
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1780 Sunday School is started in England by Robert Raikes out of concern for children.
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1781 Immnuel Kant wrote Critique of Pure Reason. The book that states we "cannot deny the existence of God, the soul or eternity".
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1785 Korean Christians started growing but were soon exterminated.
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1789 The French Revolution resulted in a new government hostile to Christianity.
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1792 The Second Great Awaking revival sweeps New England again.
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1793 William Carey sailed to India to spread the gospel.
As you can see from this list alone, there were many Christians during this church age doing their best for the Lord. And I am sure there are many more that are not mentioned. This is what the Lord says here in verse 4: "Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments;" God knows and sees if we "defile our garments". Defiling our garments means sin in our lives. Romans 12:1 says: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."
Then the Lord says: "They shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy." God is commending those who followed Him faithfully, even unto death. The Lord has a special reward for all Christians who go above and beyond to show their love for Him. That includes all of the church ages. In Revelation 6:11, which we will be studying, says: "And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."
VERSE 5 :​ (Chapter 3)
Sardis
"He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before His angels."
Just like we learned from the previous church ages, all Christians will be given white robes in Heaven. The "white raiment" indicates that Christians are washed by Christ's blood. Psalm 51:7 says: "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." We are saved by the blood of the Lamb. When God cleanses us with His blood, we become whiter than snow to Him. We are Christ's bride. Brides are dressed in white. White symbolizes purity. People can only get into Heaven if they are purified through the blood of Christ. Christ even talks about this in Matthew 22:8-13: "Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready ... Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
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This parable that Jesus just told not only indicates that Christians are the bride of Christ, but also shows that there is no other way to be a bride except to be washed in the blood of the Lord. Wedding garments, the white robes, are given to Christians. Revelation 19:9 says: "And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb." People cannot receive a wedding garment, white robe, by doing 'good works'. The person that was without a wedding garment was not allowed into the marriage ceremony. This teaching of Jesus tells us that we cannot work our way to Heaven and it teaches us that there is a real Hell. Jesus actually preached more on Hell than He did on Heaven. That's mainly because He is warning people that Hell is very real and He is trying to save people from going there. The Lord does not want people to go there. He died to be the Way to Heaven, if people would only accept Him as their Saviour. If people do not trust Christ as their own personal Saviour, then they do not have a 'wedding garment' and will be cast out as the verse says.
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The next part of this verse states: "and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life". The book of Life is very easy to understand. It means exactly what it is titled ... "The Book of Life". It is the book that God has in Heaven in which He writes down every human being on this earth that is conceived. He writes them in His book which He titled "The Book of Life". Everyone is put into this "Book of Life". No exceptions!
When someone dies that has accepted Christ as their Saviour, their name remains in the Book of Life. When someone dies that has not asked Christ to be their Saviour, then their name is removed, "blotted out", of the Book of Life. When we stand before God, Revelation 20:15 says: "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
Then the Lord says to those who are His, those who have accepted Him as their Saviour, "I will confess his name before my Father, and before His angels." Those of us who are Christians, the Lord Jesus will 'confess' our names to His Father. Confess means "To make known to God" (dictionary definition). Imagine being introduced to God the Father and His holy angels by our Saviour! What a day that will truly be indeed for those whose names are in the Book of Life forever!
VERSE 6 :​ (Chapter 3)
Sardis
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
The Lord says this phrase over and over at the end of each church age. The Lord wants us to hear what the Spirit is saying to us. The 'S' is capitalized on Spirit because it is referring to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit talks to our hearts through the Word of God. John 14:17: "Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." Revelation was written to us so we would know what God wants to reveal to us by His Holy Spirit about the end times. Remember, Revelation is to reveal, not conceal. So hear what He saith unto the churches, unto us
Philadelphia
VERSE 7 : (Chapter 3)
Philadelphia
"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;"
Here the Lord is talking to the Philadelphia church age which went from about 1798 - 1866. The Lord is reminding them that He "is holy" and that He "is true". Jesus is verifying to this church that He is holy and true, and that what He says will happen.
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God also lets them know that He "hath the key of David". A key is a symbol of authority. A key was sometimes worn on the shoulder as an emblem of office.
Isaiah prophetically penned this verse back in BC 712 in Isaiah 22:22: "And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open." Isaiah prophesized way before John, who penned Revelation, was even born. Both are witnesses unto our Saviour having the authority to open and close doors.
Of course, this is not talking about a physical door. It is referring to the spiritual door of witnessing. The freedom to tell others about Christ. There are some countries today where the door has been closed. There are countries that will not allow missionaries to come in. There are countries today that have Christians killed for speaking about Christ. And even in America today, on an individual level, people close the door to their heart to Christ Jesus. Jesus says: "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20) If you haven't accepted Christ as your own personal Saviour, why don't you open your heart's door to the Lord today before it is shut forever?
There were a couple events worth noting during this church age. Charles Spurgeon preached faithfully during this time period, 1854 AD. Also to note in 1855, Dwight L. Moody, a humble shoe salesman in Chicago, was converted to Christianity. Moody, along with Finney and hymn writer Ira Sankey, held revival meetings in urban areas. This church age lasted only 68 years. All the other church ages lasted hundreds of years, except for Ephesus which closely lasted 67 years.
VERSE 8 : (Chapter 3)
Philadelphia
"I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name."
Here again, the Lord reminds every church age that He knows our works. He is always watching. And as we went over before, salvation is by grace, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). However, the Lord does want us to have 'good works'. We were put on this earth for two reasons. First to love and worship God. Jesus said in Matthew 22:37: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." Second, we are here to win souls to the Lord. It is our responsibility to tell others how to be saved. This is not just a preacher's job. It is ours. Look what the Lord says in Ezekiel 33:8-9: "When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul." When you truly care about someone, you will warn them about hell. You will share with them how to be saved. There will be a very sad time in Heaven when we watch loved ones look at us and ask, 'why didn't you tell me?' as they are cast out into hell forever. Proverbs 11:30: "... he that winneth souls is wise."
The Lord opens doors for us to witness to others just like He did for the church age of Philadelphia: "I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it:" Why did the Lord hold open the door for witnessing for Him a little longer for the church of Philadelphia? He tells us right here in our verse: "for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." This church age did try with the 'little strength' they did have to live for the Lord. Because they kept His word and because they did not deny His precious name, the Lord gave them more opportunity to live and witness to others for Him. It is an honor to witness for the Lord. This church age did not have as many notable Christians living for God as the previous church of Sardis, but they did have a few famous Christians like Charles Spurgeon, Dwight L. Moody, and Ira Stankey. Men of God who lived for Him with all their hearts. You can be a witness for God today. It's not easy, but it is rewarding. Just look at this next verse!
VERSE 9 : (Chapter 3)
Philadelphia
"Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee."
Let's first look at the little word "Behold" . The dictionary definition for behold is: 'To fix the eyes upon; to see with attention; to observe with care'. The Lord is telling us to PAY ATTENTION! To LOOK and SEE what is going to happen! This is serious stuff. God says: "I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie" . The Lord says He is going to judge those people who are lying about being Jews. We can apply this also to people today who say they are Christians, but truly are not. They are lying to themselves. Even though these people worshipped in the synagogues (or churches), Jesus called them imposters. He actually called them liars. Look what God says He will do with religious people... "I will make them of the synagogue of Satan". In other words, they blindly are in Satan's realm. Unless they truly repent of their sins and accept Christ as their own personal Saviour, they will continue to be a member of Satan's synagogue.
Let's continue on with the second half of this verse. It says again "Behold". Again, God is saying pay attention, this is important. The Lord is saying this to you: "I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee." Now, please do not get confused on this. God is not going to let them worship you. He says so in His Word. In Matthew 4:10, Christ says: "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." Then in Revelation 19:10, we see that the angel would not allow anyone to bow at his feet. When John, who penned down Revelation for us, fell at the angel's feet, the angel rebuked him and told John to "Worship God". The only feet that God permits us to bow to is His Son's feet. This second half of the verse is letting us know that we will be standing beside our Saviour. These unsaved people will be bowing at the Saviour's feet. These people will see you standing beside the Lord. They will see how much Jesus loves you by the nail scars in His feet, and the privilege to stand beside the Saviour. They will definitely know that you are loved by the Lord when they bow at His presence in front of you as you stand beside your Saviour. You will be right there as they bow. They will bow down right before your eyes ... right "before thy feet."
VERSE 10 : (Chapter 3)
Philadelphia
"Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee."
We can see here that the Lord does indeed keep an eye on us. He knew that this church age "kept the word of my patience". "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." (Revelation 14:12). The Lord is commending the church for keeping His commandments, and having their faith strong in Jesus. "And this is His commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ..." (1 John 3:23). John 6:29 says: "Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him Whom He hath sent." The church of Philadelphia kept God's Word. Do you? Do you read God's Word daily?
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Because the church age of Philadelphia kept His Word, the Lord makes a promise. He promises to keep Christians "from the hour of temptation". God makes a promise to all His children in 1 Corinthians 10:13: "...but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians is showing us that in our day to day lives, God will help us with our temptations. God gives us power over sin in our lives IF we ask Him. However, our verse here in Revelation is also referring to a specific time. God refers here to "the hour". 'The hour" that our Lord is referring to in this verse is the Tribulation time. Proof = the rest of the verse: "the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." This 'hour' is coming upon the whole world. The Tribulation Period, with the reign of the antichrist, will try 'test' them that are alive on the earth during this time. We will be studying this in just a few chapters, but let's talk about how God is going to keep the church from "the hour", from the Tribulation Time, a time of literal hell on earth. Famines, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, diseases, wars, and the list goes on about what is to come.
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Because the Lord loves His church so much that He had died for us, our Lord promises to keep us from this 'hour' of horror. Here is what God's Word says about God keeping us from this 'hour':
"But I would not have you to be ignorant (God wants us to know), brethren, concerning them which are asleep (saved dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus (dead, in Heaven) will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent thm which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17)
"Having made known unto us (God wants us to know) the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven (dead saints), and which are on earth; even in Him." (Ephesians 1:9-10)
"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep (die), but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)
These verses tell us how God is going to keep Christians today from the Tribulation Period. We know it as the 'Rapture'. The Lord is going to use a process, like He used for Enoch and Elijah, called the Rapture. The definition for Rapture is: "The state of being transported. The transporting of a person from one place to another." Just like Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:11) never died (they were physically transported directly up to Heaven), so likewise shall those Christians who are alive just before the Tribulation be 'raptured' (transported) up to Heaven. Jesus says here: "I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation". The Lord will take Christians off of this earth to 'keep' them from going through the Tribulation Period. Those who have not accepted Christ as their Saviour will be left behind. Then the Great Tribulation will begin.
VERSE 11 : (Chapter 3)
Philadelphia
"Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown."
These verses tell us how God is going to keep Christians today from the Tribulation Period. We know it as the 'Rapture'. The Lord is going to use a process, like He used for Enoch and Elijah, called the Rapture. The definition for Rapture is: "The state of being transported. The transporting of a person from one place to another." Just like Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:11) never died (they were physically transported directly up to Heaven), so likewise shall those Christians who are alive just before the Tribulation be 'raptured' (transported) up to Heaven. Jesus says here: "I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation". The Lord will take Christians off of this earth to 'keep' them from going through the Tribulation Period. Those who have not accepted Christ as their Saviour will be left behind. Then the Great Tribulation will begin.
1 Corinthians 9:24 says: "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain." Run your race for the Lord because He says: "Behold, I come quickly".
VERSE 12 : (Chapter 3)
Philadelphia
"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."
There are exciting promises in this verse! First we need to remember that the Lord is talking to His church. How do we "overcome"? How did the church of Phildelphia "overcome"? Revelation 12:11 tells us: "And they overcame ... by the blood of the Lamb". A pillar in this verse refers to someone who has a responsible position. Could you imagine being a 'pillar' in God's temple? Someone that has a special position in the Lord's house?! A special supporter of His temple. A pillar is strong and stable. A pillar stands firm. Our verse here says: "and he shall go no more out:" Pillars are secure and no one can move them. Psalm 148:6 says: "He hath also stablished them for ever and ever".
Not only is our Lord going to make His church pillars, but He is also going to write three things upon us. First, He will write upon us the name of God. When someone accepts Christ as their own personal Saviour, they are now God's child. They are now in God's family. Just like an adoption of a child, their last name is changed, so is it with us when we become part of God's family. Our new name is now Christian. We are a child of God.
Secondly, the Lord is going to write Christians' names upon the 'deed' to new Jerusalem. We will have an eternal home in the city of God. We will have inherited God's city through His Son, and He is going to make sure our name is written in God's city. And thirdly, the Lord is going to give His children a new name. This refers to a personal relationship with our Lord. What an honor!
Now there are two more exciting things hidden in this verse. First, notice that the Lord Jesus is the one doing the speaking, not John. Notice that Jesus says "my God" four times. This show the deity of Christ: God the Son and God the Father. Remember we covered this in Chapter 1, verse 6. The trinity, which is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, are three. The deity refers to God the Father and God the Son, two. It is so inspiring here to see Jesus calling His Father, His God.
The last thing I would like to share with you about this verse is really going to amaze you. It is the part that says: "new Jerusalem (the city of God), cometh down out of Heaven from God". In July, 2020, UFO enthusiasts were speculating about strange NASA photos. Scientists were able to snap the closest pictures yet with detailed shots of our sun. They were breathtaking images of the sun. The photos show the shadow an enormous cube in space. There is a lot of speculations about this cube. I would like to share a thought ...
Scientists verified that this is indeed a 'cube'. A cube is a solid shape in which all the sides are the same size. Each of the sides are the same length, height, and breadth. Now, let's go to Revelation 21:10: "... and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God," Verse 12 here that we are studying also says: "new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God." Let's now see the shape of new Jerusalem that is to come down out of heaven - space. God tells us the exact size in Revelation 21:16: "And the city (new Jerusalem) lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal." A cube! It is happening right before our telescopes, but most people don't realize it. Most scientists don't understand it. We will be studying more about new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven when we get to Chapter 21. Remember, God reveals ... not conceals. God's Bible is tomorrow's newspaper, and it's exciting! We have more exciting verses next for we are now entering into the very last church age, the one we are living in now. And new Jerusalem is right there on the horizon ready for us to dwell in! We are now going to study our current church age...
VERSE 13 : (Chapter 3)
Philadelphia
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
The Lord closed the church age of Philadelpha, which lasted from about 1798 - 1866, saying:
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
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Now let's go on to see what the Lord is going to say to the very last church age, the church age of Laodicea ... in which you and I are living right now!
Laodicea
VERSE 14 : (Chapter 3)
Laodicea
"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;"
Here is where we REALLY NEED to pay attention. The church age of Laodicea is our church age. It is now 2024. Our church age started around 1866. There are no other church ages to come. This is the last one. We are the very last church age. That means that the Rapture could definitely happen any day now. We have a very limited time to win souls for our Saviour. Remember, those who do not get saved before the Rapture will be going through the awful Tribulation. No one should ever want that for anybody, but it is going to happen. God's Word says so. Let's see what has all gone on in our church age, and what is to come.
At the beginning of our verse here, we see our Lord speaking again: "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;" God is not writing this for Himself. He is writing this for US. He wants us to know. That is why He has given us His Word. That is why He wrote Revelation for us. He is revealing to us what is about to happen! We are living in the End Times!
First, He wants us to have confidence in Him. If we don't have confidence in the Lord, then how can we believe His Word? The Lord gives us His credentials here, so let's look at them first. He says: "These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;" Notice that the word Amen is capitalized. That indicates that Amen is another name for the Lord. He is the Great Amen. Amen is also the very last word in the Bible. Jesus always has the last word, and rightly so! Amen also means 'So Be It'. In other words, it's set in stone. It is going to take place. Jesus is described here also as "the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;" Jesus is the true and faithful witness. 1 John 5:9 says: "for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son." Jesus even said in John 14:6: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."
Then we see, "the beginning of the creation of God:" Jesus was in the beginning of creation. We see this in Genesis 1:26: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:" We also see proof of Jesus being in the beginning with God in the gospel of John, Chapter 1. Jesus is also called the Word. Let's read verses 1-3 of Chapter 1 of John: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (Deity), The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made." Verse 14 clarifies this: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (Jesus), (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." Yes, Jesus was in the beginning with God and He is in the end! Look at Revelation 22:13: Jesus says: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." The Lord is indeed the First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega, and He is telling us what He is going to do and what He wants you to do ... now we are going to study all about it!
Next we see that God knows our 'works'. In other words, God sees everything we do, both the good and bad things.
VERSE 15 : (Chapter 3)
Laodicea
"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot."
God is talking to us, US, those of us who are alive on the earth before the Rapture. He tells us that He knows our works. Remember, works do not save us. They are the fruit of our Salvation. In other words, our works show others we are Christians. People cannot see into our hearts, they look at our actions. Do your actions show Christ? Can they tell you are a Christian? Are you witnessing to them so they can be saved? God says in this verse that He "would thou wert cold or hot". What God is saying here is that He would rather have us on 'fire' for Him or be absolutely cold. Why? Well, if we are on 'fire' for our Lord, we would be glorifying Him. We would be showing forth good works that please Him. If we are absolutely cold, then God would remove us. He tells us this in 1 John 5:16: "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death:" Yes, if a Christian refuses to live for the Lord and brings shame upon the Lord's name, yes, the Lord will take that person home to heaven. This person does not lose his salvation, for salvation is not of works, but by the precious blood of Jesus that He already shed for him. But this Christian will have a shorter life. Proverbs 29:1 states: "He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed," 1 Corinthians 5:5 commands: "To deliver such an one (a Christian who is not living for the Lord) unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." Just like we previously studied in Revelation 2:2, we all must appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to give account of what we did while we were on this earth. God does not want to take us off this earth early. He wants us to use every moment to glorify Him by winning souls. Proverbs 11:30 says: "he that winneth souls is wise." Let's see how many loved ones we can win for our Saviour during this last church age.
So guess what God is going to do to Christians that are "neither cold nor hot" ? He tells us in the very next verse!
VERSE 16 : (Chapter 3)
Laodicea
"So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."
So what is a "lukewarm" Christian? These are saved people. Remember, Christ is talking to His churches here, not the unsaved. Christ is talking to those who have accepted Him as their Saviour. So why is God calling them "lukewarm"? Let me give you an example of a "lukewarm" Christian's normal day:
The lukewarm Christian awakes in the morning. He never thanks the Lord for the good night's sleep or the safety while he slept. This lukewarm Christian gets his morning coffee, maybe breakfast too, and never stops to even thank His Heavenly Father for it. He does not read his Bible in the morning before his day starts. The lukewarm Christian hustles off to work, school, or other duties without even thinking of asking the Lord for safety. The lukewarm Christian finishes his workday and goes home for dinner and relaxation. He does not ask God to bless his dinner. Then he turns on his tv as he indulges in program after program without one thought to his Saviour. Then he makes his way to bed with no thought of God, just to repeat the whole process in the morning. This goes on all week as he looks forward to the weekend. However, when the weekend comes, there is no thought of God or church. Maybe once a year, he may consider going to church on Easter or perhaps to see a Christmas program, but that's all at the most. Now watch this lukewarm Christian as something tragic happens in his life. Wow, all of a sudden he becomes 'spiritual'! He starts praying. He says God will help. This lukewarm Christian does not want anything to do with God UNTIL he feels that he needs God to do something for him. Sadly, this is most Christians today.
This is what God says here about lukewarm Christians:
"So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."
Wow! God wants to vomit lukewarm Christians up. The definition for 'spue' is "To expel or eject the contents of the stomach through the mouth." That is really disgusting! But like it or not, that is exactly what God says here that He feels like doing to some of us.
Joshua 24:15 says: "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve;"
Either get on 'fire' for God or get spued out of His mouth! Again, the choice is yours.
VERSE 17 : (Chapter 3)
Laodicea
"Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:"
This verse here gives us two main points. First, the Lord says: "Because". This indicates that because lukewarm Christians are this way, He is going to do something about it. The second point is that God tells lukewarm Christians their real condition in hopes that they will repent and get on fire for the Lord.
Look at how Christ describes lukewarm Christians. Lukewarm Christians chase after riches. Some lukewarm Christians may try getting advancement or more pay in the work world. Other's feel they have to have the prestige vehicles and houses. Millions of people buy lottery tickets in hope of 'winning big'. Round and round this lifestyle goes: houses, cars, clothes, shoes, lawnmowers, etc. The list goes on and it is sad that Christians are caught up in this! Proverbs 11:28 says: "He that trusteth in his riches shall fall ..." It is not wrong to have nice things, but it is wrong to make them the main objects in your life and put God last.
Next, the Lord points out the true condition of lukewarm Christians. He says: "thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked ..." Lukewarm Christians usually don't realize their true condition. Wretched means a very unfortunate condition. Miserable because their hearts can never be satisfied with worldly material. Poor, not financially, but poor in the knowledge and love of Christ (Ephesians 3:19). Blind. Blinded by material things. Blinded by Satan: "In whom the god of this world (Satan) hath blinded the minds..." (2 Corinthians 4:4). And naked. Without the covering from God. "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler." (Psalm 91:4).
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The next verse tells lukewarm Christians how to fix this problem of lukewarmness...
VERSE 18 : (Chapter 3)
Laodicea
"I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see."
First, for the remedy of lukewarmness, is to first "buy of me (Jesus) gold tried in the fire."" This verse does not say to buy FROM Jesus, it says OF. Big difference. This is why you do not mess with the King James Bible. Every single word is extremely important. The Lord is not saying, 'come to me and I'll sell you some gold'. Jesus is saying He is the gold. He is the Precious One and He is the One that went through the 'fiery trials' for us. Only He can offer you the gift of Salvation because He died on the cross for us. No one else could have done that. No one else can offer us this precious, golden Gift of eternal life through Christ. But you must ask for it. Jesus "counsels" people to 'buy' of Him. Lukewarm Christians need to read James 1:5: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." The first step to remedy lukewarmness is to get on your knees before your Saviour.
When you do this you will become 'rich' in faith. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9). The Lord Jesus came down to earth as a poor carpenter to die for our sins so that He can give us eternal life and the most beautiful eternal home ever imagined! Jesus says in John 14:2: "In my Father's house are many mansions: ... I go to prepare a place for you."
Next we read about 'white raiment'. Raiment is a robe. The white robe shows purity. The Lord Jesus washed us pure, by His blood, when we accepted Him as our Saviour. Revelation 7:14 says that their robes were made white in the blood of the Lamb. And verse 13 of Revelation 7 says that saints are clothed in white robes. We will be studying these verses soon, but right now I just want to reference that white robes are a definite covering given to saints by the Saviour to signify that they belong to Christ.
Our Lord explains why we must have a white robe ... "that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear;" The Lord tells us a parable about this in Matthew 22:11-14: "And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Please make sure you have Christ's white robe on. Make sure you are saved. Tell the Lord you are sorry for your sins and ask Him to be your Saviour. Don't chance it. Don't be caught without a white robe.
The last part of Verse 18, advises us to "anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." In Psalm 119:18, the Psalmist says: "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." Pray and ask God to open your spiritual eyes. Luke 11:34 reminds us that: "The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness."
VERSE 19 : (Chapter 3)
Laodicea
"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."
God's Word says in Hebrews 12:5b-6: "My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thu art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth."
Our parents corrected us when we were growing up because they love us and want better things for us. This is how God is with His children. God does not correct us to be mean to us. He chastises us because He loves us. He is shaping us into His character. Sometimes it's hard to go through, but it is worth it in the end.
VERSE 20 : (Chapter 3)
Laodicea
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
In ancient times, the doors to Jewish homes were very small. It was usually necessary to stoop, or crawl, into the home. The doors were made small in order to keep out many wild animals which roamed the country.
The Lord Jesus stands at every person's 'door'. Jesus knocks on everyone's heart's door. Our hearts may be little or hard, but Jesus still knocks. There is not one person in this whole world that Jesus has not knocked on their heart's door. Titus 2:11 confirms this: "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men." When unsaved people stand before God on their judgment day, they can never say they were never told about Christ and salvation. They will have no excuse. Jesus knocks on everyone's heart.
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Not only does our Lord knock on people's hearts' doors, He even calls to them. He really wants in. Look at our verse here: "hear my voice". You couldn't hear the Lord's voice if He didn't call out. The Lord is knocking and calling for all people to get saved. 2 Peter 3:9 says that God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." How does someone do that? The Lord tells us right here ... "open the door". This simply means to open your heart's door and ask Christ to come in. Ask Jesus to come in and be your Saviour. When you do that, Jesus says: "I will come in" ! Jesus even says here that He "will sup with him, and he with me." Can you imagine that?! You will have sweet fellowship with your Saviour! He says so right here!
We also must remember here that the Lord is also talking to His church, to Christians. Yes, sometimes Christians shut their hearts' doors and don't want to hear from their Saviour. A lot of Christians do not want to live for their Saviour. They don't read their Bibles or go to church. Some Christians can have their door closed so tight that other people don't even know that person is a Christian. God is knocking and calling His children to open their hearts up to Him. He wants to have fellowship with us and give us blessings. The Lord goes on to give us a fantastic promise in the very next verse!
VERSE 21 : (Chapter 3)
Laodicea
"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne."
Wow! What a powerful verse. Can you imagine sitting down with your Saviour in His throne?! Honestly, I feel much too unworthy for that; however, Jesus does make this promise to those "that overcometh". Remember what we just covered in Verse 11 of this chapter? "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain." (1 Corinthians 9:24). I encourage you, get in the race of serving our Saviour. Run your very best. Give your all to your Saviour. You will be rewarded. In Matthew 16:27, Jesus confirms this when He said "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works."
VERSE 22 : (Chapter 3)
Laodicea
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
We are now at the end of the seven church ages. The Lord has said: "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." The Lord said this statement at the end of every church age. (See Revelation 2:7; 2:11; 2:17; 2:29; 3:6; 3:13; 3:22.) The Lord has asked every church age, every generation, over and over to "hear" what He is saying. We are now near the end of the very last church age. There are no more church ages. We are nearing the time of the Rapture, which we studied in Revelation 3:10. We can see how close we are to the Rapture by the events that are taking place today. Remember some of the signs we studied in Revelation 1:3. Major end time signs are centered on Israel. Israel is God's chosen people. It is to Israel where the Messiah came first. It is Israel that the majority of the Bible is written about, and it is upon Israel that Satan will come up against for his last battle. Look at the wars that are taking place now. Look at the severe weather which God controls and uses for His judgment like He did the flood. Zephaniah 2:5 says: "Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast..." Look at the hurricanes, floods, and tsunamis. Look at all the volcanic activity. Isaiah 5:14 "Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure:" Daniel 12:4 says: "many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Look at today's airports, traffic jams, and train speeds. Look at today's AI's, Artificial Intelligence. Take a long look at the ushering in of the cashless society. Why? Because this will be how the Beast will control the buying and selling of everything, especially food. Did you know that there is a supercomputer located in the headquarters of the European Commission in the Berlaymont building, in Brussels Belgium? It takes up three floors of the building and is called the Beast. Today in 2024, AI's are also being called 'Active Inference agents'. It is being anticipated that AI's will shortly be able to learn on their own from any dataset. That they will soon reason, plan and adapt to any situation. Yes, indeed, we are on the edge of the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation Period. "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:17). The Bible is telling us here that Christians will be going through some very rough times. Jesus answered the disciples' questions about the 'end times' in Matthew 24:3-14, "And as He (Jesus) sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famine, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. Ad because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."
Are you ready??? Remember ... "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
Revelation 3:22
We are now at the End of the Church Age.
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The Rapture is to take place.
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Then starts the Tribulation Time ...