REVELATION SIMPLIFIED

 

CHAPTER 3.3b

Gleanings from the Book of Revelation:

A Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series

 

The

REVELATION TO JOHN

(The Apocalypse)

 

CHAPTER 3

 

LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES

 

The Letter to the Church at Sardis

(Continued)

 

OUTLINE

1.  The Addressee – To whom the letter is addressed (3:1)

2.  The Address – To where the letter is addressed (3:1)

3.  The Addresser – From whom the letter is addressed (3:1)

4.  The Approval – The acclamation of good qualities (3:4)

5.   The Accusation – The presentation of bad qualities (3:1c, 2b)

6.  The Appeal – The application to change (3:2a, 3)

7. The Advice – The recommendation to change (3:5-6)

 

Review

In the previous lesson, even though the members of the church in Sardis were spiritually dead, Jesus Christ offers several judicial ordinances to redeem them. God is always a God of the second chance to demonstrate to everyone His amazing grace.

 

The LORD God (Elohim), after giving the Law to the Israelites, Deuteronomy Chapter 28, presents a remarkable presentation of His blessings of obedience and cursing for disobedience to His statutes. He likewise offers a corresponding ultimatum to the Sardinians.

 

 

(Verse 3b)

 

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.

 

Keeping a watchful eye, and being awake and on guard is key to the Christian life. As the city of Sardis did not know the time enemy forces attacked and conquered the city, similarly, the Lord warns believers of the advent of His coming. He will come suddenly, in the blink of an eye. The warning is to remain on constant alert for the Blessed Hope (cf. Titus 2:13) every day as if it were the last.

Mark 13:32 - But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

 

Luke 12:39 - And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

 

Matthew 25:13 - Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

 

Question:

Are you living like Jesus is coming back tonight?

 

 

7. The Advice – The recommendation to change

(Verse 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.

 

 

Also, included in this letter are three promises unique to the Christians at Sardis, and Sardinian-type Christians who remain faithful overcomers. This is what the Holy Spirit is saying to the seven churches. They are notated as such:

 

Promise #1 (Verse 4b, 5a) - They will walk with the Lord and be clothed in white raiment (or garments).

As Adam once walked with the Lord in his glorified body and clothed in light, so too will the faithful ones and the overcomers walk in the Kingdom.

 

Scripture References in Revelation

1.  Revelation 3:18b - And white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.

 

2.  Revelation 4:4 - About the throne…I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment.

 

 

3. Revelation 6:11 - And white robes were given unto every one of them (the martyred saints).

 

4.   Revelation 7:9 - A great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the Throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes.

 

 

5. Revelation 7:14 - These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

 

6.  Revelation 15:6 - And the seven angels came out of the Temple…clothed in pure and white linen.

 

 

7.  Revelation 19:4 - And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

 

At the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, the Bride of Christ - the Church - will be arrayed in clean white fine linen robes, a great and final day of rejoicing.

Revelation 19: 7-8 - Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the Marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her (the Church) was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

 

Promise #2 (Verse 5b) – I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life.

Jesus gives another promise to the overcomers of Sardis – That their names will not be blotted out or erased from the Book of Life. [at the Great White Throne Judgment, found in Revelation Chapter 20, a detailed explanation on the topic of books will be discussed]. 

Revelation 20:12 - And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

 

Simply stated, everyone’s names, since the dawn of creation, are recorded in God’s books or scrolls. It is primarily God’s celestial roll book. Those who have put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior will be placed and remain in the Book of Life - another scroll - and receive the promised benefit of eternal life.

 

Only those names written in the Book of Life will enter Heaven – The eternal state. It is a register of names for which Christ died.

Revelation 21:27 - And there shall in no wise enter into it (Heaven – eternity) any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

 

John places further emphasis that this book belongs to the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (cf. John 1:29). Everyone is allowed to accept or reject Jesus Christ.

 

At the final Great White Throne Judgment, all who have rejected Christ, and choose to follow and worship Satan will be cast into everlasting damnation.

Revelation 20:15 - And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire.

 

This punishment may seem rather harsh, however, every opportunity, even during the Tribulation period (which we shall study), was given to them by a gracious God to repent, but they repented not. For example:

 

During the sixth trumpet of the Tribulation judgments:

Revelation 9:20-21 - And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor their thefts.

 

Whilst the sixth bowl of God's judgment is poured out in the Great Tribulation we read:

Revelation 16:9 – And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give Him glory.

 

Revelation 16:11 - And blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

 

Rather than repent, they chose the following instead:

Revelation 16:16 - And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.

 

The writer of Hebrews summarizes:

Hebrews 10:30-31 - For we know Him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto Me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

 

However, the way of escape is through the simple Gospel message:

John 3:16-17 - For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.

Everyone is given this choice. This is the key to eternal life.

 

Promise #3 (Verse 5c) – I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels.

 

There is a third promise given to the overcomers in Sardis: That Jesus would confess of them boldly with confidence before His Father and the angels that they are and remain His saints for eternity.

 

In the Old Testament, to Israel, it is written: 

Malachi 3:17 – “They will be My people," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "On the day when I act in judgment, they will be My own special treasure (jewels). I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child (NLT).

Israel too must make the same decision; they are not exempt.

 

If you recall, in training His disciples for ministry, before they faced persecution, Jesus said:

Matthew 10:32-33 - Whosoever therefore shall confess (fully acknowledge and profess openly) Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in Heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in Heaven.

 

In essence, Jesus is saying, “Father God, here stands Saint (fill in your name), I died for him/her, and he/she is [they are] Mine…For they are (found) worthy.”

 

 

(Verse 6)

 

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

 

This is the Lord’s admonition to listen carefully. The Holy Spirit is speaking to the Church at Sardis and Sardinian-type believers. “Open your ears. Hold on to Jesus --- no matter what the cost –-- Don’t give up.”

 

 

EPILOGUE

During the Reformation Period, great missionary work began resulting in a church that came back to life – The Philadelphia Church – The Church of the Open Door. We will discuss this letter in the following study.

 

 

QUESTIONS:

1.  Why is it important to be watchful?

2.  Describe the significance of white clothing.

3.  What promises are available to everyone?

4.  How is it possible to be an overcomer?

5.  What transpires at the final judgment?

6.  What are the consequences of rejecting Christ?

7.  How has Sardis enlightened you?

 

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