He talks to some of you, and you are so dogmatic, and firmly rooted, he calls you pig-headed, and says it is no use arguing with such bigots; and so he goes to argue somewhere else. To have one's name written in the book of life is to be numbered amongst the faithful citizens of the Kingdom of God. "We are chastened of the Lord that we may not be condemned along with the world" ( 1 Corinthians 11:32). Strabo describes the scene. 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. Have we not heard of it? "Hereafter" gives vagueness: "after these" makes it precise, and is the plain literal meaning. (iii) The Risen Christ says: "Keep the commands of the gospel." This saying does two things. But in the meantime I share the truth of God with those that accept, with those that believe. Isaiah 43:2-4; John 10:27-28; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 6:18-19). But those who loved the Lord showed their love then not so much by intelligence in His ways, as by unsparing and habitual self-denial. God gives a revelation of Jesus; and Jesus passes it on to His angel, or rather by His angel to His servant John; and then John at last sends it to other servants. Your book matters, let's make it your way! May God grant to us that whatever form of temptation may come upon the face of the earth, we may stand fast for his truth, so that none of us may perish like Judas, the son of perdition. Are you not just taking advantage of an earthly position to escape part of what Christ calls you to? Revelation 3:10. This was that in the new age, all nations would do humble homage to the Jews. Revelation 3:9 Commentaries: Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie-- I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. It vanished from history under Persian rule for two centuries. Those ministers that are pro-abortion and pro-pornography and pro every other evil that comes down the pike, who dress in clerical robes and claim to be ministers of Jesus Christ but are really of the synagogue of Satan. According to Ezekiel the name of the re-created city of God was to be The Lord is there ( Ezekiel 48:35). How shall this great change be wrought? recurring minor shocks drive them to sheer panic. The real innovators were those who departed by slip or by will from the very words of the Spirit; and the arbitrariness now would be in maintaining what has not sufficient authority, against that which is as certain as can be. Revelation 3:10, NASB : Because you have kept Myword of perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of thetesting, that hour which is about to come upon the wholeworld, totest those who live on the earth. . At the same time another way of looking at the book is by taking "the things that are" as already past and gone. The ancient ecclesiastical or catholic phase of the church terminates with Thyatira: nevertheless Thyatira in this has the peculiar trait that it is the close of the public state of the church, and the beginning of those conditions which go on till the Lord's coming. I warrant you if you get faith into your soul, and the word becomes your joy and comfort, you will never let it go. And no doubt also it was intended in this sense that they had obeyed the word of God. Thus grace is always equal to every difficulty. While, therefore, he had all that is properly Christian, he also had very special communications of another character for saints who will follow us at the end of this age. ." Since the whole Philadelphia church was faithful (Revelation 3:8) Revelation 3:10 is probably not an inducement to remain faithful. In chapter one, He was known as the faithful and the true witness. These foes claimed to be the true followers of God, but they were not, having rejected Jesus Christ (cf. Here, perhaps, all that is implied is, that the trial would be very extensive or general - so much so as to embrace the world, as the word was understood by those to whom the epistle was addressed. . And all of the enemies of God we are just going to subdue when we are manifested finally as the sons of God before the world. Sir W. M. Ramsay said of Sardis that nowhere was there a greater example of the melancholy contrast between past splendour and present decay. "And Enoch walked with God, and he was not; for God took him" ( Genesis 5:24). And so the fullness of the Spirit as it dwelt in Jesus, Isaiah the eleventh chapter. When the Turks and Mohammedanism flooded across Asia Minor and every other town had fallen, Philadelphia stood erect. ], "Probably the most debated verse in the whole discussion about the time of the Churchs rapture is Revelation 3:10." (b) In the way of Christ the reward of work well done is more work to do. This book then is the revelation of Jesus Christ, "which God gave unto him." It was on the edge of a great plain called the Katakekaumene ( G2618) , which means the Burned Land. "The words in this verse must be looked upon as a statement after the fact rather than a conditional statement, somewhat similar to the words, Because thou hast obeyed my voice, in Genesis 22:18." Next, we may be sure that they loved the word of God. Two of them were called Zeuxis and Alexander Philalethes. How is it that we here miss that character of direct dealing with us that immediateness of address which is found elsewhere? The writer to the Hebrews urges patience, for soon he that shall come will come ( Hebrews 10:37). The sides of the ridge were smoothly precipitous; and only where the spur met the ridge of Mount Tmolus was there any possible approach into Sardis and even that was hard and steep. And unto the angel of the church in Sardis (Protestant Reformation) write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God ( Revelation 3:1 ). Smyrna and Philadelphia are the only churches that receive no blame from the Lord, but only praise and encouragement. 1. [Note: See Renald E. Showers, Maranatha: Our Lord, Come! It was not till midway through the fourteenth century that it fell; and to this day there is a Christian bishop and a thousand Christians in it. What the application of this may be depends on the context where it is used. This remark it may be well to add, because a Christian might say "As I am a gentleman, I must walk like one, and still better now that I have Christ." Many say that we ought to keep "abreast of the times," whatever that may mean; and that there is a certain "spirit of the age," to which we should be subject. Victory lies before you. Even on the Emmaus road, "He appeared to be going further" ( Luke 24:28). Let him who has an ear hear what the Spirit is saying to the Churches. the state of those that bore His own name was such that He was obliged to deal thus sternly with them. It is "he that openeth, and no man shall shut." ", Come you, then, and search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and they are they which testify of Christ and let it not be said that you will not come unto him that you might have life. The connection of the Son with creation is frequently made in the New Testament. (a) This may be a promise of security. I know it from this fact that, as a general rule, the man that keeps God's word has an open door before him. It is only by the grace of God that we can escape the death of sin. (a) We see the pleading of Christ. 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 the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name ( Revelation 3:11-12 ). The gospel of Christ is the word of his patience. This term refers to earth-dwellers as contrasted with heaven-dwellers, the unsaved as contrasted with Christians. It has two aspects of meaning. Thyatira, I have no doubt, contains within it the mystic representative of Romanism. If the Lord chastens you, be thankful you are His child and He loves you. We grow very vexed if anybody denies them; but if there is no controversy over them we forget them. He is forward going to look into the future. They have thought out what they believe; their theology is made out of their own substance, as spiders spin their webs out of their own bowels. At that time Sardis was a city of the east and was hostile to the Greek world, Aeschylus wrote of it: "They that dwelt by Tmolous pledged themselves to cast the yoke on Hellas.". A Definitive Study of the Rapture of the Church, pp. He saw the blind confidence of Croesus and his people that nothing could end this splendour; but he also saw that the seeds of softness and of degeneration were being sown. But he that keeps God's word, we may be sure, is deeply in love with it. I do not the least doubt that those who are commonly called the Waldenses and Albigenses, and others perhaps of similar character, are referred to here. It is said of the righteous that "they will shine forth like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father" ( Matthew 13:43); and it is said of God that he covers himself with light as with a garment ( Psalms 104:2). Rush to the front. 3:1-6 And to the angel of the Church in Sardis, write: These things says he who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars. I am joyous, glad, strong, happy if these doctrines be true. (iii) The Christian must be on the watch against temptation "Watch and pray," said Jesus, "that you may not enter into temptation" ( Matthew 26:41). "In him," says Paul, "all things were created" ( Colossians 1:15; Colossians 1:18). May we not presume that it is for the express purpose of graciously encouraging His servants as well as to anticipate the doubts and cavils of unbelief? Thus, besides what the apostle had in his ordinary relation with Christians, and his already lengthened tenure in the service of Christ, he receives now a new character of word and testimony. It is said of the faithful that they "have not soiled their garments." And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: (1) he who has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars, says this: I know your deeds, that you have a (2) name that you are alive, but you are dead. (a) There is a door of missionary opportunity before every man and he need not go overseas to find it. He gave the Christians five promises instead. The meaning would be the same, Jesus is one whose promises can be relied upon. "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants." It is quite another thing for Christians. This chapter completes the record of "the things which are" ( Rev. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. In short He is carefully regarded as man on earth, as the sent One who lives on account of the Father in the gospel as a man on earth, in the revelation as a man most truly wherever He may be seen, whether in heaven or on earth. It mass-produced cheap outer garments. In the three previous churches it may be noticed, the call to hear is first, because the Lord is still dealing with the general conscience of the church. This, I think, is meant. 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. It was theirs, they heard it and had no wish to hear anything else. That is what happened in Philadelphia. We Jews are not supposed to go into the house of a Gentile, but the Lord told me to come so that is why I am here." Because you have kept my command to endure, I, too, will keep you safe from the hour of testing, which is to come upon the whole inhabited world, to test those who dwell upon the earth. In Revelation 3:9 the promise of the Risen Christ is that some day the Jews who slander the Christians will kneel before them. "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." And I am persuaded there is no place which is more likely to generate neutrality than a sound and true position, if there be not self-judgment maintained and godly sincerity. This poor creature has no power or influence; he is rather ridiculous than useful. Wish. No wonder that Laodicea could boast that it was rich and had amassed wealth and had need of nothing. The apostles were disappearing, and perhaps had all disappeared save John. 71-72; Thomas R. Edgar, "An Exegesis of Rapture Passages," in Issues in Dispensationalism, pp. What said the Lord? (3) The Spirit of Counsel: A lifeless dying church or individual needs to heed the counsel of God. We will get the picture right if we remember that the eastern throne was more like a couch than a single seat. They were themselves corrupters and destroyers of true Christianity without knowing it. It is precisely the claim of the so-called church, the assumption of permanent infallibility the setting up to be a sort of inspired authority to enunciate doctrine, and to direct everything in the name of God. Not that the full church or Christian relationship was lacking to John personally; but he stands here a representative man for others as well as ourselves. "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 shall shut; and shutteth, and no man shall open." [Note: See Stanton, pp. "The sons of those who oppressed you shall come bending low to you; and all who despised you shall bow down at your feet" ( Isaiah 60:14). Let us first take the word rebuke. If they are what they should be, they will not think so much of our little praises as to be unduly exalted thereby; but they will be sometimes so encouraged as to be nerved to higher and nobler things. It is not a question of someone stealing their crown but of God taking it from them and giving it to someone else, because they were not worthy to wear it. Discipline your son and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart" ( Proverbs 29:15; Proverbs 29:17). I will not be long on the next point, while I just remind you that there is A WORD OF PROSPECT: "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." 46-50, 108-37; and Jeffrey Townsend, "The Rapture in Revelation 3:10," Bibliotheca Sacra 137:547 (July-September 1980):252-66.]. To take the position of a Jew thus is to be one of those that say they are such and are not, but are alas! (i) Watchfulness should be the constant attitude of the Christian life. The world had got in, as it still remains, and alas! "Let us not sleep, as others do," writes Paul to the Thessalonians. But where was the work of faith? 1. Tacitus (see Wetstein, in loco) mentions an earthquake that sank twelve cities in Asia Minor, in one night, by which, among others, Philadelphia was deeply affected; and it is possible that there may have been reference here to that overwhelming calamity. It is a serious thing where and how we dwell. The hour of trial What is the great trial which is coming upon the whole world? That God should have chosen John to be the instrument of communicating the closing volume of the New Testament is worthy of our consideration. ], "The threefold occurrence of onoma (name) is impressive and amounts to a threefold assurance of his identity with God." In the sentence, "You have kept my word, and have not denied my name," both the verbs are in the aorist tense, which describes one definite act in past time; and the implication is that there had been some time of trial out of which the Philadelphian Church had emerged triumphantly true. But that cannot happen if every day a man lives in the presence of Christ; he who walks hand-in-hand with Christ cannot be taken unawares by his coming. In order to defend themselves on a religions footing, men fall back on a system of ordinances and of the law. The beginning of the third chapter introduces the protestant state of things. (c) He must have the ability to tell what he has to say, so that his witness may make its true impression on those who hear. '"[47] This view of the passage harmonizes with the great high-priestly prayer of Jesus who did not pray that the Father would take his disciples "out of the world" (John 17:15), but that they would be faithful in the world. Ever and again the Christian must stand before the Cross and remember again what God has done for him. [Note: Chitwood, p. Let us see how the idea of discipline runs through the Bible. Thus he introduces himself here, not as a joint partaker of God's promise in Christ by the gospel, but in His kingdom and patience in Christ. Writer to the Jews dwelt in Jesus, isaiah the eleventh chapter Corinthians 11:32 ) order to defend themselves a... Risen Christ is that some day the Jews earth-dwellers as contrasted with.. The churches 71-72 ; Thomas R. Edgar, `` he appeared to the... 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