In chapter 2 we covered the first four churches to whom Jesus sent this book of Revelation.  In this chapter we will cover the remaining three churches and have a brief review of some things that we have learned from the messages to the seven churches.  Keep in mind that the churches are types, or examples, for us to consider today in this end time just before and during the day of the Lord.

Sardis was the capitol of Lydia and it was situated in an excellent position for defense and commerce, but it was located in an area which was earthquake prone.  In earlier times it was a city noted for its wealth, but in 17 A.D. like other cities in that area it was leveled by a mighty shaking and required the assistance of Rome to rebuild.  This suggests that their wealth was depleted by then.

Going back 700 years before John wrote Revelation it was a rich city because gold was mined there.  In addition, the Pactolus river ran through the midst of it which also was a source of gold.  The abundance of gold there would support the belief that the Lydians were the first to coin money.  In addition, it was located on an important trade route and some biblical scholars think that the city was renowned for its luxury clothing trade.

Wealth means power and it was powerful in earlier times.  Its defenses were seemingly impregnable because it was high and surrounded by precipitous cliffs.  Under king Croesus, Sardis was at its zenith and renowned for its wealth and strength, but like many other ancient cities its glory faded with time.  In 546 B.C. the Persian king Cyrus found a way through its defenses and conquered the city.  Likewise the city fell again in 214 B.C. when Antiochus the Great also found a way to circumvent its defenses.

Sardis had a temple dedicated to Zeus, and a rather fine one dedicated to Artemis (Diana).

Rev. 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.

Rev. 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.

Rev. 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.

I will come on thee as a thief should read I will come as a thief.  This is a figure of speech that is referring to the custom of a bridegroom returning to get his bride, not to the furtive acts of a burglar.  Traditionally, in the time of Jesus, after a man and woman became betrothed, guests were invited to the wedding and were provided with complimentary wedding garments by the bridegroom.  He then went away to prepare the house and other affairs prior to the wedding and feast.  While the groom was away the bride would prepare herself and her bridesmaids for the his return and they were to stay alert and watch for him.  They never knew exactly when he was to return, he might be gone for days, weeks, or even months.

Sometimes, after the groom had finished all the marriage preparations he would suddenly appear at the bride's house to get her and when he did he was said to come as a thief.  If any of the bridesmaids were sleeping too soundly they would not hear the cry of the bridegroom's herald and would not be awakened.  If they were awakened but were unprepared such as having a soiled wedding garment, or had misplaced it, they would be left behind.  As a result, they would not know where the marriage feast was being held.  Even if they did know the location, but were late, they would find the doors closed and locked.

There is more to it than what has been said here but you get the idea.  There are other references to the wedding customs in the scriptures, the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25 is a related metaphor where Jesus is the bridegroom.  Please note that the ten virgins are not the bride, they are bridesmaids.

Those in the Sardis church have received the proper wedding invitation and have accepted.  In accordance with the custom the Bridegroom has provided wedding garments, all clean and white for His guests in Sardis, but because the Bridegroom tarries many are not watching for His return and their garments have become soiled and unusable.

Rev. 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

Rev. 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.

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

Philadelphia was probably a busy place, full of temples and home to many religious festivals, and it was situated in an excellent place for agriculture and trade.  It did have one big problem though because, like Sardis, it was located in an earthquake prone area.  And like Sardis it too was destroyed in 17 A.D. by an earthquake and had to be rebuilt with assistance from Rome.  In fact, the earthquakes became so numerous that the people moved outside of the city for a time to escape the falling debris.

Philadelphia basically means brotherly love and that is believed by many to be the outstanding characteristic of the church.  Actually the city has had several names other than Philadelphia, and this name was probably given by king Eumenes of Pergamum in honor of his brother Philadelphus after he founded the city in the 2nd century B.C.  If an overflowing abundance of brotherly love was present in the church at Philadelphia Christ did not mention it in His letter to them, but this church is on solid ground and much loved by God.  That much is evident.

Thinking that it is a church of brotherly love is a desirable thing and undoubtedly that is one of the reasons that there is something remarkable going on concerning this Philadelphian church in modern times.  People want to be a part of this church so badly that it has been all too easy for religious con artists to start churches and convince them to become a part of it by simply labeling it as the modern iteration of this Philadelphian church.

There are also some other good reasons people want to be part of this church.  A couple of good ones are because there is no condemnation in any way for this church, although there is one caution, and its adherents are promised to be kept from something called the hour of temptation.  Many consider this hour of temptation to be synonymous with a time that some religionists call the great tribulation.  More on this at verse 10 below.

So, for this church of brotherly love there is no condemnation and it escapes tribulation.  How appealing.  These are the main reasons that some religious leaders have been able to come along and convince their followers that they are the end time Philadelphian congregation.  They want to believe that they are members of a perfect congregation, and that they are going to fly away to Heaven, or at least be hidden in some secret place during the time when Antichrist works his work on Earth de facto.  As a young man, I was taught and believed that very same thing except we were somehow going, presumably through a miracle, to the mysterious old city of Petra.  Such hoopla!

All that aside, it is true that God is pleased with this church.  But, will it indeed escape the so-called great tribulation, or the temptation of Antichrist?  And what exactly are temptation and tribulation anyway?  Let's continue and find out.

Rev. 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;

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.

Rev. 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.

Rev. 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.

Are they still around today?  You bet.  There are millions of them throughout the world and many of them occupy positions of very high authority.  They will be addressed more as we continue throughout this book of Revelation.

Rev. 3:10  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.

Matthew 4:1  Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted (Gr.- peirazo) of the devil.

What exactly is this hour of temptation then?  When you read Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 you find Jesus sternly warning us of Antichrist and his strong appeal, so much so that even the very Elect are in danger.  Yes, everyone, including the Elect, will go through the temptation of Antichrist but it will not be tribulation as we perceive it.

Antichrist and his system, the beast, are very appealing and seductive in what they provide and offer, and they are so righteous and good.  Or so it seems.  Yes, even if there is conflict, war, pestilence, hunger, poverty and death in the world because of the actions of  the beast system, his agents convince the world that they are necessary and righteous.  He is very proficient in convincing the world that what he does is all for good, and not for evil.  If you resist, his system will tend to wear you down until you relent and give in to him and to those who support him.  As you will see later in this book, because he and the beast are so appealing, that is why even the very Elect are in danger from his hour of temptation.

What about this church then?  Jesus has promised to keep them from the hour of temptation.  How is He going to do that?  Is He going to spirit them away to some secret hiding place?  Rapture them away as it were?  No.  He protects them by giving them knowledge as they study His word and familiarize themselves with Antichrist and his appealing, though unlawful ways.  He trains them in His truth so that they will resist the appeal of Antichrist and the beast system.  In addition, He has also said that the time of  Antichrist will be shortened for the sake of His Elect, so that also helps in keeping them from the hour of temptation.

Now, concerning tribulation there is also something else to consider.  It will become obvious to you as we travel through this book that when Christ appears He will terminate the temptation of Antichrist, but at the same time He also brings with Him genuine tribulation of the worst kind.  It will be so severe that it will bring an end to the world as we know it.  It will be catastrophic for mankind in general but not for this church at Philadelphia, or any of God's Elect for that matter.  Christ will send His angels to collect those who are His and bring them out of it.  This not only applies to this Philadelphian church but to all who overcome Antichrist as well.  The tribulation that occurs at the time of His second appearance is totally different from the temptation of Antichrist because it will be literally earthshaking.

Rev. 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Why?

Because all who live today within western civilization are already subject to the temptation of Antichrist.  Yes!  Right now in the year 2004 we are subject already to the temptation of Antichrist as it is imposed upon us by his beast system.  Only those who know this and hold fast to the one true Jesus Christ will successfully resist.  The beast is here right now as you read this friends and you are already subject to its appeal.  Antichrist and his beast system, pretend to be so righteous and holy and they are so convincing that the world believes them.  It attacks and conquers third world nations in the name of liberty and democracy and then avers that it was okay to do it with justifiable cause.  Like as in the third chapter of the book of Daniel, the furnace is being stoked and even now we can feel the heat.  The elements necessary for the temptation of Antichrist are already in place and the heat will increase even more from the fiery furnace.  The fake sweet Jesus is coming, and in fact already occupies some churches spiritually.

When these things come upon you, do you want to know how to differentiate between the real and the fake Jesus?  Listen, it is easy if you'll only remember two simple things:  1)  The first Jesus who appears will be Antichrist.  2)  If you are still in the flesh the true Jesus has not returned yet*.

[*Late note:   Don't be confused by this statement.  It is not clear how much time will pass between the intial appearance of  Messiah and the destruction of all flesh to be accomplished, but the statement is still viable nonetheless.  When the Antichrist appears de facto people will continue to live in the flesh during his hour of temptation, however long that hour is to be, but not so at Christ's reappearance.  Life in the flesh body for all of us will end when He appears no matter how long it takes for that to be accomplished.  Life may not cease instantaneously, at the same moment, for all flesh living on the Earth.  Some may linger for a while longer than others depending on their location, but eventually we will all depart this vessel of flesh.  The flesh age will be over.] 

Rev. 3:12  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.

God will place His name upon us as well as the name of the city, and the new name of Jesus Christ.  Later in our study of Revelation we will discover what these names are.  In other words, He will give us credentials that will allow us passage to and from the New Jerusalem as we go about our work during the coming Millennium.

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

Laodicea was a prosperous city that was situated at an important crossroad which brought commerce to the city.  It was a major banking and financial center, and it was so wealthy that unlike other cities in the area it did not require disaster relief or assistance from Rome.

Fine black woolen garments were produced there, and an important eye treatment center was located there which had apparently developed at least one topical ointment that was effective.  Overall, their situation was pretty good except for the water supply which came from some hot springs that were nearby and arrived at the city lukewarm.

Laodicea, or rather those perceived as being Laodicean type Christians, have received a bad rap among certain modern churches.  Laodiceans are loathed by some and utterly condemned, but Jesus didn't even though He is very stern with them in this letter.  They are in jeopardy and need to change their ways but so do we all.  Jesus has high hopes for this church and encourages them to repent and to do those things that they are neglecting.

In truth, this church may be the largest of all and may include most of us who profess Christ, especially those of us who live in first world countries within western civilization.

Rev. 3:14  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;

The word beginning is the Greek word arche (Strong's No. 746), and can also mean first (as first in line of a series), or chief (principal or most important).  It is commonly used of someone who has authority, as in Luke 12:11 for example, where it is translated magistrates.

Rev. 3:15  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

Matthew 13:7  And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

Matthew 13:22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Rev. 3:16  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Rev. 3:17  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:

Luke 12:15  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Matt. 19:23  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Matt. 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Matthew 6:24  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (riches).

Rev. 3:18  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.

Rev. 3:19   As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Rev. 3:20  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.

Rev. 3:21  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.

Overcometh what?  The deception of Antichrist and the beast!  Don't take this lightly, it is all around us today and it is universal.  It permeates our system and our way of life, and it affects us all, and all churches.  Even if Satan has not been thrown out of Heaven by Michael yet, the spirit of Antichrist is all about us today,  It is governmental in nature, it is global, and its appeal is awesome.  It is the single most dangerous threat to Christians.  Unfortunately, the vast majority of churches today have already succumbed to its allure and they walk in virtual lockstep with its diktats.  It is the beast of Revelation 13!

God help you to see it.

Rev. 3:22  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Review of the seven churches.

That concludes our study of the seven churches and chapters 2 and 3, now let's go over briefly what we learned.

These seven churches existed then in seven cities in western Turkey around the year 96 A.D.  These same churches do not exist today in the same form that they did then, but churches today have the same problems and are making the same mistakes.  They were examples for us to consider.

Churches today can have any, or all, of the following problems:

1)  Forgetting why they are a church and losing their love for God.

2)  Allowing preachers to practice religion for gain as did Balaam.

3)  Allowing modern day Nicolaitans to subjugate and control the flock.

4)  Allowing false religion and government, as Jezebel the whore, to seduce members of the flock.

5)  Not watching for the true Bridegroom or caring for their wedding garments.

6)  Serving mammon instead of God and falling prey to the lies of prosperity preachers.

7)  Not teaching who the Antichrist is and when he will appear.

8)  Not knowing or teaching who the tares are.

9)  Not knowing or teaching about the day of the Lord from the prophets and Revelation.

10) Failing to let their light shine by not speaking out and standing forth for God when appropriate.

God bless with understanding of His word.