"He that overcometh, he shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot his name out of the book of life, and will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. We must leave out "and unto." Whoever that might be (one, or perhaps more,) was meant by the angel. He is man; but the man seen then and thus is a divine person, the eternal God Himself. In short, it is Christ in His fullest but most general ministerial and ecclesiastical aspect, viewed, of course, according to the tenor of the book. It was literally astride the great road to the east which went straight through Laodicea, entering by the Ephesian Gate and leaving by the Syrian Gate. There will be that day that will come that the Jews will recognize that Jesus is the Messiah. (b) He must be absolutely honest, so that he repeats with accuracy that which he has heard and seen. The implication may appear to be that if a Christian denies Christ (Revelation 3:8) he or she will not participate in the Rapture. Be eager, therefore, and repent. Those who gather on Sunday evening to study the Word of God. Here is your anchorage. The seven spirits signifies the completeness of the gifts of the Spirit and the universality of his presence. It is in vain therefore to look for a formal obliteration of these co-ordinate conditions, which cannot be till the Lord comes. In the beginning was the Word, that the word was with God, all things were made by Him. Thirdly, This will, by the grace of Christ, soften the hearts of their enemies, and make them desirous to be admitted into communion with them. I will give to him who overcomes to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and took my seat with my Father in his throne. Let there be at least individual even if unvalued faithfulness to the Lord Jesus. Ephesus was the first presentation of the general public state. But what He is in heaven is exactly what is not given here. The Risen Christ tells them that he is coming quickly. You are children of the light, therefore walk as children of the light." Oh, dear child of God, you may be very little in Israel; but if you love the word of God there is a something about you in which God takes delight. It was not merely the tendency of individuals. Third, the Lord also promised to come quickly (Gr. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. For a year Antiochus besieged him; then a soldier called Lagoras repeated the exploit of Hyeroeades. 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. He still loves the church in this apostate condition. So famous were its doctors that the names of some appear on the coins of Laodicea. There are only two of the seven churches which receive no censure or rebuke from Jesus Christ; and of these two - viz., the churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia - the former receives but little praise though much sympathy. "Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I am coming to thee quickly, and will remove thy lampstand out of its place, except thou shalt repent." "These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works, and where thou dwellest." Such I believe the promise here to import. There is another warning here. I cannot doubt that this letter contains an apt adumbration, as far as could be there in present facts, of what was found in mediaeval times. The coming wrath of God is described in detail throughout chaps 6-19, and features the unleashing of divine wrath in judgments as expressed in the seals, trumpet, and bowls. (3) The Spirit of Counsel: A lifeless dying church or individual needs to heed the counsel of God. As Ramsay says: "It only needed peace to make Laodicea a great commercial and financial centre." With Jesus Christ the new kingdom of David was inaugurated; and, just as in the ancient kingdom Eliakim had the keys to admit to the royal presence, so Jesus is the door to admit to the kingdom of God. Verse Revelation 3:10. This has been always the case. "I know thy works, and thy love, and faith, and service, and patience, and thy last works (to be) more than the first." . "I became dead (records John), and, behold, I am alive unto the ages of the ages." I should suppose that after having given a sufficient trial to that manner of procedure, it would be quite as well at times to try another, and to rejoice in everything which we see of grace in our brethren, and sometimes to thank God in their hearing for what we perceive in them that we are sure is the fruit of the Spirit. I have not found your works completed before my God. Those who are holding to the Word of God. And this is seen to be the occasion of the letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna. To those who have been faithful comes the threefold promise. 3:14-22 And to the angel of the Church in Laodicea, write: These things says the Amen, the witness on whom you can rely and who is true, the moving cause of the creation of God. Directly opposite Laodicea, on the other bank of the Lycus, and in full view, stood Hierapolis, famous for its hot mineral springs. Two of them were called Zeuxis and Alexander Philalethes. Because you say, I am rich, [endowed with great foundations and funds, we're rich.] Laodicea prided itself on three things; and each is taken in turn and shown at its true value. ], "In contrast to the fate of Eliakim [see comment on Revelation 3:7], who was like a peg that gave way, and the buildings that perished in Philadelphias earthquakes, the victor is assured that his place in the city which comes down out of heaven is eternally secured." We just went through one, the celebration of Christmas on December 25th. It is amazingly easy to go through a door when it is wide open, and it will be very easy to you much easier than you think, now that you have been schooled by God's Spirit into steadfastness of character, just to say in God's name, dependent upon God's strength, what he has taught you. Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord is our righteousness. On this monumental pillar there shall be an honourable inscription, as in those cases is usual. Those who at Christ's call are caught up to heaven. Revelation 3:10 Because of what will be happening at the end time, "persevering" or "courageously enduring" without compromising will certainly be no small accomplishment. It is, and always must be, the effect of the clerical principle to substitute the authority of man, more or less, for that of the Lord, and to weaken and hinder the immediate action of the Spirit by the word of God on the conscience. "Behold he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him." First, it supplies us with an example. Even the once great citadel was now only an ancient monument on the hill top. To the church at Sardis 1. That is exactly what the church ought to have been and was not; and therefore He has to take that place Himself. Laodicea was so conscious of its medical skill in the care of the eyes that it never realized that it was spiritually blind. It sometimes happens that a man is given a task to do and goes towards it with the highest hopes; but it begins to be seen that he is too small for the task and he is removed from the task and it is given to someone else. It is nothing special. What is there to praise about keeping God's word? He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches ( Revelation 3:6 ). What exactly is meant by "the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ" in this connection? If one identifies the Jerusalem of Isaiah with the New Jerusalem of the Revelation, or the Babylon of Jeremiah to explain the Apocalyptic Babylon, it is clear that one simply loses all the special instruction that God has given us. Because thou didst keep the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, that hour which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell on the earth. The Roman Christians are men who have been brought from death to life ( Romans 6:13). Zechariah has a vision of the day when all men of all nations and languages shall turn to Jerusalem, "they shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you"' ( Zechariah 8:22-23). The activity was in the clergy, who brought in the basest compromise with the world, and sold the honour of Christ for silver and gold, for ease and dignity. Tepid is chliaros ( G5513) . Go ahead! tachy, soon; cf. (i) In the heathen world no worshipper was allowed to approach a temple of the gods with soiled clothes. But in the meantime I share the truth of God with those that accept, with those that believe. 54. I rebuke and discipline all those whom I love. Christ is revealed now, not only in the all-discerning power of moral judgment, but also judicially prepared to act against evil "His feet like fine brass." Jesus Christ gave no rebuke to this church, as was true of the church in Smyrna. (4.) In the early Greek manuscripts there was no punctuation at all. The names of Paul's fellow-labourers for God are written in the book of life ( Php_4:3 ). What is still more in John the significant point, they lost all the truth of a real life given to us in Christ. This word, the churches, in the Philadelphian state, will keep pure and incorrupt, and observe the ordinances of it according to the directions given in it; and will believe the promise of Christ's personal coming, and patiently wait for it: wherefore, Christ promises as follows. There was deipnon ( G1173) ; this was the evening meal; the main meal of the day; people lingered over it, for the day's work was done. (i) The faithful Christian will be a pillar in the Temple of God. In order to make this more realised by the believers then or at any other time, be it remarked that we have another word remarkably annexed which lies altogether out of the beaten path of the Lord. If that light was ineffectual, if there was evil mixed with it, the state of the assembly would partake of it. It is a fact of life that the best athlete and the finest scholar receive the most demanding training. You go into a post-Christian era when you get to Europe. The condemnation of Laodicea begins with a picture of almost crude vividness; because the Laodiceans are neither cold nor hot, they have about them a kind of nauseating quality, which will make the Risen Christ vomit them out of his mouth. Jesus declares Himself to be all this; yea, more than this "the living one, and I became dead." (ii) It generalizes the message of the letters. Brother, cling to God's word; cling to infallible and immutable revelation! I hold one single sentence out of God's word to be of more certainty, and of more power, than all the discoveries of all the learned men of all the ages. The conclusion of this epistle, Revelation 3:12; Revelation 3:13. But the Protestant principle is a very different one. Remember, Christ praises FAITHFULNESS, not success. "I am the Alpha and Omega, saith the Lord God, that is, and that was, and that is to come, the Almighty." Toggle navigation SharedBookshelves. The terrible thing about sin is that it can take the loveliest things and turn them into ugliness. Yet in a world swiftly growing callous, true purpose and meaning are fading. Sardis, The Threefold Promise ( Revelation 3:1-6 Continued). Philadelphia is one of seven churches addressed with its own letter in Revelation 2 & 3. Esau lost his place to Jacob ( Genesis 25:34; Genesis 27:36). Life in Christ, where there is spiritual intelligence, takes one out of the vanities of the world in principle. He promised to keep them from the hour of testing. Discipline your son and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart" ( Proverbs 29:15; Proverbs 29:17). Why espouse a book that you can't trust or is not true? At the Persian court the king's most trusted favourites were given the privilege of walking in the royal gardens with the king and were called "The Companions of the Garden." This clearly is what He was on the earth. That is a door which no man can ever shut and it is one which Jesus opened when he assured men of the seeking love of God the Father. Two other roads passed through the gates of Laodicea, that from Pergamum and the Hermus Valley to Pisidia and Pamphylia and the coast at Perga and that from eastern Caria to central and west Phrygia. (a) In Isaiah 65:16 God is called the God of truth; but in the Hebrew he is called the God of Amen. Learn here, (1.) In summary, the posttribulational position in Rev 3:10, as articulated by Gundry, seems unlikely because (1) it assumes a simplistic (and etymological) force for the preposition , and (2) it does not take into account the force of the total construction of verb + preposition. 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