Slides for this study

Review of the first four churches.

• Ephesus was from Ascension to 100AD.
  • They had desirable characteristics. They were strong in the faith and in the works of God.
  • But they lost their love and zeal along the way.
• Smyrna was from 100 AD to 323 AD.
  • They were the persecuted church.
  • They regained their love for God. And they were rich in faith.
• Pergamos was from 323 to 538 AD.
  • The way is being prepared for the antichrist.
  • The doctrine of Balaam, Balak and the Nicolaitans is creeping into the church.
  • This church needed to fight!
• Thyatira was from 538 AD to 1798 AD.
  • The rise of the antichrist, the dark ages.
  • Yet there would be faithful people with a lot of missionary efforts and works.
  • God would give them the morning star – the translation of the Bible in their common language.

What we also see is the development of Satan’s plans.

• Ephesus – Nicolaitan.
• Smyrna – the synagogue of Satan.
• Pergamos – Balaam, Balak and the Nicolaitans.
• Thyatia – Jezebel.

 

The Church of Sardis

Revelation 3:1
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.

Meaning of the name Sardis:

• “prince of joy.”
• They have come out of the dark ages. There is much to rejoice about.

The date of the church of Sardis runs from 1798 to 1833 AD.

• And we will see the reason for choosing 1833 in the next church.

How does Jesus introduce Himself?

• He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars.

What about the Spirit of God though?

• Job 33:4
  The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
  • It is connected with life.
• John 6:63
  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
  • The spirit gives life.
• Jesus is emphasizing that He has life. This church needs spiritual life.

How about the seven stars?

• They represented angels, which were messengers and leaders of God’s church.
• But it doesn’t say much about them.

What is the condition of this church?

• I know your works, you have a name, you live, but yet you are dead.
• This is the time period from when the church has come out of the dark ages. The reformed churches have arisen, each following after their leader during the time of the papacy when they fought against the evils and heretical doctrines of the Catholic church.
  • Martin Luther – Lutheran church.
  • John Calvin – Presbyterian church.
  • John Wesley – Methodist church.
  • John Smyth – Baptist church.
• However, they didn’t grow beyond their reformer. They didn’t advance in light that God was continuing to shine.
• That is why the scriptures says of this church that they have a name.
  • They take on the name of Christian.
  • But many held on to doctrines that didn’t line up with scripture as well.
  • The Catholic church had infected many with the wrong teachings.
• However, even though they are alive, they really are dead.
  • That’s why they need the Spirit of God. They need life, spiritual life.
• You could probably trace this to a time even in the dark ages, but Thyatira gave us a very clear timeline from 538 to 1798 AD.

 

Revelation 3:2
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die.

• Not everything is dead, but almost. You can’t blame them. They came out of the dark ages right? But God is not giving them that excuse.
• God knows that they aren’t where they needed to be because their works were not perfect before God.
  • It was obvious from their works that they needed to be strengthened.
• How to strengthen themselves?
• 2 Timothy 3:16-17
  16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
  • We need scripture to help us to have good works, to help us to be perfect.
• Hebrews 13:20-21
  20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
  • They needed to come back and be rooted and grounded in Jesus through the scriptures.

 

Revelation 3:3
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 and repent.

• That is the experience of the church of Ephesus – they were counselled to remember and repent as well.
• Revelation 2:5
  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent…

Hold fast.

• That is the experience of the church of Thyatira.
• Revelation 2:25
  But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

They were to remember how they had received and heard. What was that? What were they to hold fast to?

• Philippians 4:8-9
  8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
• That is the scriptures. The importance of coming back to the scriptures and making sure they weren’t walking the same path as the Papacy in tradition and not truth.

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.

• This is second coming language being used.
• 2 Peter 3:10
  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night…
• 1 Thessalonians 5:2
  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
• Revelation 16:15
  Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
• If this church was not watching, they would be unprepared for the second coming.

How to watch? Not looking out at the world only. But keeping our eye on Jesus through the study of the scriptures.

• We see the Bible as a very important focus in this church.

 

Revelation 3:4
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.

There was a small group of people in the church who were still faithful. What does it mean to not have your garments defiled?

• James 1:27
  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
• To not have our garments defiled it to be unspotted from the world.
• Worldliness is creeping into the church again. That is a natural result of letting go of the scriptures – the contaminating influence of the world comes into the church.

What can we do (works) that can make us worthy?

• We have to be sure to keep our garments clean.
• How?
  • Ephesians 5:26-27
    26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he 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.
• It is a call and a reminder even to us today that we need to come back to the word of God.
• No matter how many times you think you may have read it, no matter how many sermons you have heard, we need to saturate our lives with God’s word.
• How long before we can arrive to that in our own lives? Spending our free moments whenever we can to soak up God’s word.

 

Revelation 3:5
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.

What does this church need to overcome?

• Worldliness, human tradition, error!

What is the promise to those that overcome? They will be clothed in white raiment.

• This is the symbol that the scriptures use for exchanging iniquity for righteousness.
• Zechariah 3:4
  And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
• A promise that we will be clothed with Christ’s righteousness in Revelation 19:8.

I will not blot out his name out of the book of life.

• The blotting out of our names from the book of life takes place in the judgment. Jesus will see who is worthy to have their names in there.
• This also shows that just because we are saved at one point in time, we can still be lost. There is no such thing as once saved, always saved. If their names were in the book of life, that means they were saved. But to have it blotted out, then they are lost.
• Revelation 13:8
  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
  • Those whose names aren’t in the book of life at the end of time are those that worship the beast and receive the mark of the beast.

But I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

• If we are overcomers, then Christ will confess our names before the Father.
• What can help us to be overcomers?
• Matthew 10:32-33
  32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
  • We need to confess Christ.
  • In saving others, we save ourselves. The need to get involved in sharing Christ! Not because you HAVE to. But for your own sake.

 

Revelation 3:6
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.           

 

CONCLUSION to the church of Sardis

• Christian’s came out of the dark ages following man’s tradition.
• They focused more on the world that on Christ.
• We need the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit to live.
• We need to confess Christ.
• The impending judgment and second coming is foreshadowed.

 

The Church of Philadelphia

Revelation 3:7
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;

Meaning of the name Philadelphia:

• It means brotherly love. And it expresses the position of the Christian’s during this time of the church.
• There is no rebuke in this church.

The church of Philadelphia goes from 1833 to 1844 AD.

• We will see the significance of 1833 here in this church.

How is Christ introduced to this church?

• He that is holy, he that his true, he that has the key of David.
• And obviously this key is open something that no one can shut, and then shut something so that no one can open it.

Where do we see Jesus being called holy and true?

• Revelation 6:10
  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
• Holy and true is connected with judging and avenging.
• This is both the investigative judgment – that is the judging. And also the executive judgment – that is the avenging.
• Judgment language coming up. But that’s not all!

Christ is also described as having the key of David. Let’s have a look at the key of David.

• 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.
  • Very similar language here.
• So obviously the key of David is the key to his house. What about his house? What is connected to the house of David?
  • Psalms 122:5
    For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.
• Therefore, the key of David is related to judgment as well.
• In the church of Philadelphia, they are needing to prepare for judgment.

But what does laying on his shoulder mean back in Isaiah 22:22?

• Isaiah 9:6
  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder…
• The government is connected with God’s kingdom.
• So through judgment, God will complete His kingdom.

So there is a door being opened and a door being shut. And only the key of David can open and shut it.

• And we know that the key of David is connected with judgment.
• When you think of judgment, we can go back to the book of It is a book all about judgment.
• And there is a particular day in which God would begin to judge the world, the investigative judgment that we studied in Daniel 8 and Daniel 9 – the cleansing of the sanctuary.
• The judgment in heaven began in October 22, 1844.

Exodus 26:36
And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework.

• There is a door to the sanctuary.
• The door to the tabernacle is mentioned many times in scripture.

So this appropriately applies to Jesus moving from the Holy Place in the sanctuary to the Most Holy Place to begin the work of judgment.

• That’s what would take place in 1844 AD.
• The door to the Most Holy Place would be opened.
• And the door to the Holy place would be closed.

 

Revelation 3:8
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.

“for thou has a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.”

• It seems like God’s people during this time is perceived as weak.
• However, they are faithful. They have kept God’s word and have not denied His name.

 

Revelation 3:9
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.

Ah, the mention of the synagogue of Satan again. And just in case we have forgotten their characteristics, it is mentioned again as well.

• What about them? They claim that they are Jews, but they really are not.
• These are false Christian’s. They are claiming to be Christian’s, but Christ does not regard them so.
• We see a development of Apostate Protestantism.
• Remember the church of Sardis just before? They have a name, they live but they really are dead? They were holding on to the reformers light, but also their errors from the dark ages and were not willing to continue to grow.
  • There is a continuation here.
  • What is apostate Protestantism. They are Christian’s that have come away from the Catholic church. However, they are holding on to the errors from the Catholic church.
  • Though they have come out and separated, they really are no different.
  • They have a name but they really aren’t true Christian’s.
• But there is a promise here that one day they would come and worship before their feet, and to know that God loved them.
  • Gives an idea that someday God would vindicate His people during this time.

 

Revelation 3:10-11
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

During this time, a man by the name of William Miller would start going around preaching on the book of Daniel and the 2300 day prophecy.

• He began to preach that Jesus was coming again very soon in 1844! He was preaching that Christ was coming QUICKLY!
• Of course that did not take place. But it caused a great revival.
• Many Christians came out from the other churches and they were called Millerites.
• Miller had the date correct. But what he had wrong was the event.
• People could not go against his reasoning because it was sound, it was from God, it was scriptural, it was Bible based.
  • The numbers added up. They made sense.
  • Their faith was based on God’s word.
• They kept the word of His patience. They were able to endure the great temptation that was about to come on them.

What was that great temptation?

• The prophecy of Christ coming quickly, behold I come quickly – the second coming.
• He did not come and many fell away, they left the faith and threw away everything that they had believed that God had been leading them in. They didn’t hold fast!
• It was a great trial. Others began to mock them and make fun of Even those that had once believed began to mock.
  • They said that they were deluded. Of course no man knows the day or the hour.
  • But they threw out the baby with the bath water.

Let’s have a look at this hour of temptation in other parts of the Bible.

• Psalms 95:8
  Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness.
  • The Israelites were constantly tested and tempted. Food, water, the promise to enter Canaan.
  • They did not hold fast to God’s word and His promises.
  • They constantly complained.
• Matthew 26:41
  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
  • The greatest temptation for the disciples during Jesus’ time was they were going to face a great disappointment thinking that Jesus was going to be crowned king.

But what is the promise to those that do endure?

• Verse 11 says that if they would endure then no one would take their crown.
• James 1:12
  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
• James utters the same sentiment. If we would endure temptation, the hour of temptation, we will receive the crown of life!
• There needs to be an element of holding on! Not letting go of God even when we go through temptation.
• And that’s the thing, we are tempted by the devil and that will happen all the time. Even more so when we decide to follow Christ. We have to constantly review our commit to God, our love for Him.
• But the strength and the power to be able to resist temptation is found in Christ and in the scriptures. That’s what we have to hold on to more than anything else.
• That is what the little group that was remaining back in 1844 held on to. They went back to study the scriptures. They were confirmed in their faith. Nothing could not shake them, even though so many had left that were once walking with them.
• You know friends, the majority, or what MOST people do, is not always a sign that God is with them.
• Exodus 23:2
  Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil…
• We need to hold on, because the devil is going to throw the host of hell against all of God’s followers to tempt them to sin, to tempt them to let go.

 

Revelation 3:12-13
12 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. 13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

What did this group have to overcome?

• They had to endure temptation. They had to hold fast to God’s word when all those around them were not.
• They had to endure ridicule and mocking when Christ did not come at the time that they believed.

But what is the promise to them?

• They would be made pillars in the temple of God.
• This is sanctuary language.
• Why is sanctuary language used here?
  • Because to understand why Christ did not come in 1844, they needed to go back to study about the heavenly sanctuary doctrine.
  • Christ was not promising to come to the earth. He was moving from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place in the heavenly sanctuary above.
• This group that would hold on and believe what they had studied in regards to the time of 1844, while others turned away from the truth that they hard, they are given the promise of being sealed for eternal life.
  • Pillars in God’s temple in heaven.
  • The name of God and the name of the New Jerusalem.
  • Thus sealed and labelled, the saints of God are safe.
  • No one can take them from God’s hands.

 

CONCLUSION to the church of Philadelphia

• The message of impending judgment is given.
• The church will be tested with fiery trials and temptations which will require them to hold on to God’s word and patience.
• We need to have patience today in the face of worldliness and also from within the church as well.

In our next study we will look at the last church of the seven churches, the church of Laodicea.