Revelation 3:1-22

Revelation chapter 3 continues from chapter 2 with the fifth prophetic writing to/for the angels and their different churches. Even though many of the details may relate to a past event, or a present event - these will also relate to a future event. This allows us to understand the methods, characteristics, attitudes, manners of actions, etc, of those who will be participating in the future events. 

Several of the events prophesied have already occurred, and the judgments prophesied to/for the angels and their churches by the Lord Jesus Christ have been implemented - but the final judgment and implementation is still future to us today, as recorded in Revelation chapters 19 and 20.

Revelation 3:1-6:

"^3:1To the angel of the church in Sardis you must write:

'The (one) having the seven spirits of God and the seven stars, says the-things-here -

I knew² your works, that you have a name that you live and you are dead. ^.2You must become wakefully-watching and you must set-fast the remaining-things which used-to be about to die, for I did not find² your works having been filled² before my God. ^.3Therefore you must remember how you received² and heard, and you must keep and you must repent. Therefore if-ever you may not wakefully-watch I will have-come as a thief and you may never know what-kind-of hour I will have-come on you. ^.4But you have little names in Sardis which did not soil their outer-garments and they will walk with me in white (outer-garments) because they are worthy.

^.5The (person) being-victorious thus will clothe-himself in white outer-garments, and I will never wipe-out his name from the book of the life, and I will express-agreement (regarding) his name before my Father and before His angels.

^.6The (person) having an ear must hear what the spirit says to the churches.'

John continues writing the words from the Lord Jesus Christ...

• "To the angel (refer to Revelation 2:1, 8, and 12)
  • of the church in Sardis (located about 30 miles south-east of Thyatira; refer to Revelation 1:11)
• you (John) must write:

'The one (the Lord Jesus Christ) who is having (holding, in the sense of having authority over)...

• the seven spirits of God (those before His throne; refer to Revelation 1:4)
• and the seven stars (the angels of the 7 churches; refer to Revelation 1:16 and 20),

...says the-things-here (emphatically these things which I am telling you)... 

• I  knew and continue to know (perceive, see, whereby what is known is known because it has come within my sphere of perception or circle of vision, I see to the end of perceiving and knowing with my mind – I know)
  • your works (your deeds, things wrought, the end-products issuing from you, the effects produced with/by your actions expending your energy),
• that you have a name (a name should be a word or phrase given to a person, etc, to be called and known-by, in order to designate and describe the distinguishing and distinctive constitution, character, quality, workings, etc - however in this case the name indicates)
  • that you live (you are alive, presently and actively living your life)
    • and you are dead (this is not referring to literally being dead - but to being lifeless, inactive because no effects are being produced by you according to God's intention, His standard).

You must become wakefully-watching (presently come to pass to be watchful, causing yourself to become awake and then stay awake; figuratively meaning: have your eyes open and be spiritually alert, sensitive to what God wants you to know and do) and you must set-fast (firmly fix into the correct position, establish) the remaining-things which used-to be about to die (the rest of the matters which were on the point of dying, being lifeless, inactive)...

• for I did not find and continue not to find the works that you were assigned to carry-out
  • in the state of having been filled and continuing full (filled-up, made full, fulfilled, your tasks have not been accomplished)
    • in the sight and presence of my God (Whom I recognize as the First, Superior or Ultimate One, the One Who has power, executes judgment, and emanates what He is, His power and light - He is the God of me - my God).

Following-on logically, you must actively call to your mind and have in memory how you received and continue to receive (to take what is given to/for you to use) and how you heard words spoken to/for you...

• and you must keep (keep an eye on those things, have them in safekeeping, and therefore not neglecting or violating but able to watch-over, take-care-of, maintain, and be observant of them)
• and you must repent (change your mind after rethinking, having afterthought regarding the truth of God’s words spoken to/for you).

Following-on logically, if it should happen at any time that you would not wakefully-watch (as verse 2 above)...

• I will have-come (I will be in the state of having arrived, I will definitely be here)
  • and my coming will be in comparison to the arrival of a thief (the one who steals by fraud or in secret, kleptomaniac - the thief comes to his target)
• and you may never personally know (the word translated “never” comes from two Greek words both meaning “no” or “not” – the double negative emphasizes the point – you would not ever know, you would not at any time have a truly active and relative knowing of)
  • what sort of hour (short limited period of time)
  • I will have-come down on you (for, against you).
    • [The Lord Jesus Christ is not likening himself to a thief - but that the way in which he will have come will be in a manner as a thief comes in the night. In what manner does a thief come? First of all, nobody is aware of what chronological night he will come, because the thief does not make this knowledge known; and secondly, nobody knows the specific time of his coming during the night he chooses to come, because the thief also does not make this knowledge known. Therefore, nobody can truthfully say, "The thief will come at 10:30 on Tuesday night, so I will lock everything up at 10:15 on Tuesday night and be prepared and ready for his coming"! Nor can anyone see a thief coming during the night because it is dark and therefore cannot truthfully say, "I see him coming in the distance, he is definitely on his way here at this very moment, so let us prepare quickly"!]

But contrary to that behavior, you presently have (hold) a small amount of names (referring to various people) in Sardis which did not soil their outer-garments (they did not make themselves filthy or muddy in their behavior as a dirty garment; some of the outer clothing worn during the time when John was writing this book would indicate or signify a person's position, status, authority, profession, etc, within a community)...

• and they will walk in company and association with me
  • in white outer-garments (clothes that are radiant, emitting light, effulgent, brilliant and bright)
    • because they are worthy (of equal-value, of like-worth, as being correctly weighed on a scales, and thus deserving to/of the privilege of walking with me in white outer-garments).

The person being-victorious (actively gaining the victory, conquering)...

• in this manner will clothe himself (will throw or cast around himself as a vesture, wrap, covering) 
  • in white outer-garments,
• and I will never wipe-out (again the double negative of the word "never" emphasizes the point – I will not ever erase, blot-out, smear and completely-obliterate)
  • his name out from
    • the book of the life (the living spiritual written record of names pertaining to God's realm; just as this writing/book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John was physically written on papyrus to record these words, the person who is worthy is spiritually written and so recorded and remembered in God's book pertaining to His life for He is Holy Spirit),
• and I will express-agreement (say the same words, speak agreement with, assent to the same spoken things)
  • regarding/with his name
    • before (in the sight and presence of) my Father (the only true God)
    • and before His angels.

The person having an ear must hear (people normally have ears, but here Jesus is referring to anyone who is willing to use an ear paying attention to hear what is spoken to be heard; refer to Revelation 1:3; – he who has an ear must hear, listen attentively becoming informed and learned to the end of understanding what he hears, which is)...

• what the spirit says to the churches (the information originally from God via Jesus Christ concerning the past, present and/or future that John received to speak-forth to, before, or in front of another person or people, and which he wrote down in this writing to/for the assemblies of holy-people; refer to Revelation 1:1-2 and 19:10).'

During the current age, all holy-people are written in the book of the life because we have already received holy spirit-life and this truth cannot change. All the Judeans/Israelites who will live during the next age (which will be between the gathering-together of all holy-people away from the earth and the return of the Lord Jesus Christ back on earth) will be judged (refer to Revelation chapter 20). This kind of judgment will also be applied to people who lived during the old covenant times (prior to the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts chapter 2).

[Reference: Exodus 32:30-35; Matthew 6:28-33, 10:32, 37 and 38, 17:2, 24:36-44; Luke 12:8; Acts 3:19; Romans 1:11; I Corinthians 8:7, 11:34, 16:13; Philippians 4:3; Colossians 2:14; I Thessalonians 3:2, 5:1-6; Hebrews chapter 1, 6:1, 9:14; James 2:17 and 26; II Peter 3:10; Jude 1:8 and 23; Revelation 1:3, 4, 16 and 20, 2:7, 11, 17, 26 and 29, 20:15. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (²) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]

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Revelation Chapter 4