요한계시록 Chapter 3

Translation: ESV

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.'

Key Message

The reputation of being alive and actual spiritual vitality can differ; God knows the reality.

▸The fifth letter is sent to the church in Sardis.

The fifth letter is sent to the church in Sardis. Christ is introduced as 'him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars,' emphasizing the fullness of the Spirit and sovereignty over the churches. The central diagnosis of the Sardis church is shocking: 'You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.' Externally it appears active and alive, but in reality it is spiritually dead.

Related Verses

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.
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.'

Key Message

Waking from spiritual death and strengthening what remains is the immediate task at hand.

▸This is an urgent exhortation to the Sardis church.

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.'

Key Message

Remember the moment the gospel was first received and repent; Christ comes like a thief without warning.

▸Three commands similar to those given to the Ephesian church (2:5) are given: remember, keep, repent.

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.'

Key Message

Even within a dying community there is a faithful minority, and God knows them.

▸Even in the spiritually dead Sardis church, there is a faithful minority.

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.'

Key Message

The name of the one who conquers will never be blotted out of the book of life, and Christ will personally confess that name before the Father.

▸Three promises to the one who conquers in Sardis.

6

'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

Key Message

Listening to the voice of the Spirit is the first step in awakening from spiritual death.

▸This is the repeated exhortation of the seven church letters.

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.'

Key Message

Only Christ, who holds the key of David, has absolute authority to open and shut the door of the kingdom of God.

▸The sixth letter is sent to the church in Philadelphia.

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.'

Key Message

Faithfulness in keeping the word and not denying the name even with little power is what God commends.

▸This is commendation and promise for the Philadelphia church.

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.'

Key Message

The present persecutors will ultimately bow before the faithful church—a promise of reversal.

▸The 'synagogue of Satan' also mentioned for the Smyrna church (2:9) was present in Philadelphia as well.

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.'

Key Message

Those who patiently kept the word will receive God's protection in the coming hour of trial.

▸This is a special promise to the Philadelphia church.

11

'I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.'

Key Message

Since the Second Coming is near, hold fast to the faith you now have so that no one may seize your crown.

▸Along with the urgency of the Second Coming ('I am coming soon'), an exhortation to preserve faith is given.

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.'

Key Message

The one who conquers becomes a permanent pillar in God's temple and dwells forever with God in the New Jerusalem.

▸This is a rich promise to the one who conquers in Philadelphia.

13

'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

Key Message

Even a commended church must continue listening to the voice of the Spirit to maintain faith.

▸This is the closing exhortation of the Philadelphia church letter.

14

'And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.'

Key Message

Christ the Amen is the only certainty in a world where everything is uncertain.

▸The seventh and final letter is sent to the church in Laodicea.

15

'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!'

Key Message

Lukewarm faith without passion or complete rejection is the state God dislikes most.

▸This is the most intense rebuke directed at the Laodicean church.

16

'So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.'

Key Message

Spiritual lukewarmness is a nauseating state to God—he dislikes it so much he would spit it out of his mouth.

▸This is a declaration of intense judgment against lukewarmness.

17

'For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.'

Key Message

When material prosperity conceals spiritual poverty, not being able to see one's own reality is the most dangerous state.

▸The stark contrast between the Laodicean church's self-perception and reality is revealed.

18

'I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.'

Key Message

True wealth—gold refined by fire (faith), white garments (righteousness), salve (insight)—is obtained from Christ.

▸Calling to mind Laodicea's specialties (gold, wool, eye salve), spiritual alternatives are presented.

19

'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.'

Key Message

God's rebuke is not indifference but an expression of love; those who are rebuked must be zealous and repent.

▸There is a reversal in this verse regarding the Laodicean church that received the most intense rebuke.

20

'Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.'

Key Message

Christ stands outside the door and knocks. Opening the door is the human choice, and fellowship begins with that response.

▸This is one of the most famous verses in Revelation.

21

'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.'

Key Message

The one who conquers receives the highest glory of sitting on Christ's throne, just as Christ sat on the Father's throne.

▸This is the greatest promise among the seven church letters.

22

'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

Key Message

Those who have ears to hear what the Spirit says can move from lukewarmness to attain the glory of the one who conquers.

▸This is the closing exhortation of all seven church letters.