Logo Banner
Home    Blog    Study Tips    Products    Resources    Contact   

Studies:

Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
I Corinthians
II Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
I Thessalonians
II Thessalonians
I Timothy
II Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
I Peter
II Peter
I John
II John
III John
Jude
Revelation


Tutorials:
Tutorial Links

Other Bible Versions:
King James Version

Look-up Versions

Revelation 3:1-22

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 19-21.

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...

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

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

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)...

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...

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

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)...

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

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)...

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 according to their works. 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.]

Verses 7-13:
.7And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia you must write:
'The holy-one, the true-one, the (one) having the key of David, the (one) opening and not-one (person or spirit) will shut, and shutting and not-one (person or spirit) opens, says the-things-here -
.8I knew2 your works - look!, I gave2 before you a door having been opened2 which not-one-person is able to shut it - that you have small ability, and you kept my word, and you did not deny my name. .9Look!, I may give (some) from the synagogue of satan, the (people) saying themselves to be Judeans and they are not but they lie - look!, I will make them in order that they will have-come and they will worship before your feet and they may know that I loved1 you, .10that you kept my word of the patient-endurance; and I will keep you from the hour of the temptation, the (hour) being about to come on the whole inhabited-area to tempt the (people) dwelling-down on the earth. .11I come quickly. You must strongly-hold that-which you have in order that not-one-person may receive your crown.
.12The (person) being-victorious - I will make him a pillar in the interior-temple of my God, and he may never yet go-out outside, and I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, the (one) descending out-from heaven from my God, and my name, the new (name).
.13The (person) having an ear must hear what the spirit says to the churches.'

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

'The holy-one (the Lord Jesus Christ is the one who is sanctified, who is in the state of corresponding to the essence of God, who is set-apart from the state of being common, defiled or unclean against God)...

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

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

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

Prior to the time when Jesus accomplished salvation, the "interior-temple" usually referred to the innermost-part, the most sacred area within the temple in Jerusalem, where the only true God's presence was manifested-forth during the old covenant times, called the "Holy of Holies." During the current age, God's interior-temple is not a stone or brick building or other destructible materials such as a physical temple in today's Jerusalem. God's interior-temple is made up of His people who have received the gift of holy spirit, and the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation - it consists of all holy-people (true Christians) no matter what location we may live in on the earth. There will again be a temple including an interior-temple area in Jerusalem between Christ's coming to gather all holy-people together with him in the air and the descending of the new Jerusalem as written about in Ezekiel chapters 40-48. However, in the new Jerusalem the interior-temple will be as written in Revelation 21:22. References regarding this topic are: Matthew 26:61; John 2:19-22; Acts 17:22-31; I Corinthians 3:16 and 17, 6:19 and 20; II Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:19-22; Revelation 21:22.

[Reference: Isaiah 22:22; Matthew 1:1, 6 and 17, 5:35, 6:13, 26:61, 28:18; John 2:19-22, 6:32, 8:16, 15:1, 17:15; Acts 2:36, 3:14, 4:27 and 30, 10:25, 13:22 and 23, 14:27, 15:14, 17:22-31; Romans 1:3 and chapter 11; I Corinthians 3:16 and 17, 6:19 and 20, 9:25, 10:13, 14:24, 16:9; II Corinthians 2:12, 3:3, 6:16, 11:24; Galatians 2:9, 4:25 and 26, 6:16; Ephesians 1:19-23, 2:19-22; Philippians 1:27, 2:9-11, 3:20 and 21; Colossians 4:3; I Timothy 3:15; II Timothy 2:8, 4:8; Hebrews 2:18, 11:10, 16, and 21, 12:22, 13:14; James 1:12-15; I Peter 2:5 and 6, 4:12, 5:4; II Peter 2:9; Revelation 2:2, 9, 10, 16 and 25, 5:5, 7:3, 14:1, 19:11 and 12, 21:2 and 22, 22:4 and 16, chapters 21 and 22. Also refer to the articles The Name of God and The Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.]

Verses 14-22:
.14And to the angel of the church in Laodicea you must write:
'The certain-one, the witness, the believer, and true-one, the beginning of the creation of God, says the-things-here -
.15I knew2 your works, that you are neither cold nor hot - I wish you used-to-be cold or hot!, .16thus, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am about to spew you out-from my mouth; .17that you say that 'I am wealthy and I was wealthy2 and I have not-one need' - and you did not know2 that you are the (one who is) distressed and more-to-be-shown-mercy and poor and blind and naked - .18I give-counsel to you to buy from me gold having been set-on-fire2 from fire in order that you may be wealthy, and white outer-garments in order that you may clothe-yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be manifested, and a salve to anoint your eyes in order that you may observe. .19I - as-many-as if-ever I may love - refute and train; therefore you must be zealous and you must repent.
.20Look!, I stood2 on the door and I knock - if-ever someone may hear my sound and he may open the door, I will go-into (his house) towards him and I will eat-a-meal with him and he with me.
.21The (person) being-victorious - I will give to him to sit-down with me in my throne, as I also was-victorious and I sat-down with my Father in His throne.
.22The (person) having an ear must hear what the spirit says to the churches.' "

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

'The certain-one (the Lord Jesus Christ is the one who is sure, the surety, the amen - all the promises of God are certain, sure, amen, through him; refer to II Corinthians 1:20)...

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

Look (behold, see, pay attention)!, I stood and continue standing on the door (at the entrance) and I am knocking (rapping on/at the door, which includes using my voice shouting out and calling your name requesting access to go inside) -

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

The person having an ear must hear what the spirit says to the churches (as verses 6 and 13 above).' "

This is the last of the seven prophetic writings to/for the angels and their different churches, which began in Revelation 2:1.

[Reference: Matthew 15:14, 17:2, 19:28, 23:16; John 16:33; Acts 2:30-35, 11:3, 28:26; Romans 1:4, 2:19, 3:16, 7:24; I Corinthians 4:8, 6:2, 8:6, 11:23-25, 31 and 32, 14:1, 12, 16 and 39, 15:19 and 23-28; II Corinthians 1:18-20, 5:3 and 17, 11:2; Galatians 4:9 and 18; Ephesians 1:18-23; Colossians 1:15-20, 2:1, 2, 10 and 15, 3:1, 4:13-17; II Thessalonians 3:3; I Timothy 3:14-16, 6:13; II Timothy 2:12 and 13; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:17, 3:2, 8:1, 9:11 and 24-28, 12:2; James 2:5, 4:9, 5:1; I Peter 3:13; II Peter 1:9; I John 5:4 and 5; Revelation 1:5, 2:9, 5:5, 16:15, 19:8 and 11. You may like to review the Chart of events and timelines. 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.]

Revelation Chapter 4


What's New?

Printed Paperback Book:
          Matthew
        Matthew

Articles:

TrueBibleStudy.com

Adam and Eve
Birth of Jesus Christ
Baptism
Belief - Faith
Church, Temple,
  Body of Christ
Creation
Crucifixion of Jesus
Devil, satan, and evil
Forgiveness
Hope and Resurrection
Love in
  I Corinthians 13
Name of God
Name of the
  Lord Jesus Christ
Pentecost and the
  gift of holy spirit
Salvation and
  Behavior
Stars and
  Constellations
Suffering while doing
  good
Summary of the
  Book of Ruth
Who is the Bride?