Revelation 3

Revelation 3:1

Looking at church history, we now come to the Reformation. The age of Medieval Catholicism became so dark that when Sergius III became Pope (A.D. 904-A.D. 967), he ushered in what history calls the Rule of Harlots, during which time his mistress publicly accompanied him to the papal palace. Sergius’ grandson, John X, continued this legacy until he was actually killed in his bedroom while committing adultery. Next came Benedict IX, who assumed the position of pope at twelve years of age through the practice of simonyselling positions within the church to the highest bidder. Benedict IX was so corrupt that the citizens of Rome drove him out of the city, replacing him with Clement III, who was appointed by Henry III. Clement III was not a Roman because, in the words of Henry III: “I appoint no one from Rome because no priest can be found in this city who is free from the pollution of fornication and simony.” Times were dark, diabolical, and depressingwhich caused some stirring to take place in the hearts of good Catholic people. In 1330, a giant of the faith named John Wycliffe was born in England. An Oxford scholar and Catholic priest, he began to write about the need to get away from papal edicts and back to the Bible. He began to publicly question doctrines such as transubstantiation and continual sacrifice so much so that he was excommunicated by the powers in Rome. Although he himself was safe at Oxford, his disciplesmen like John Hus and Hugh Latimerwere burned at the stake. But their deaths caused a spark of Reformation that would burn throughout England. A glorious move took place, culminating in the year 1483 in Eiselben, Saxon Germany, when a coal miner and his wife gave birth to a baby boy they named Martin. “This boy is not to follow me into the mineshafts,” said Martin’s father. So Martin enrolled in the university to study law. While walking on campus one day, a thunderstorm arose unlike anything he had ever seen. Petrified, Martin cried out to St. Anne, the patron saint of coal miners, “If you save me from this lightning, I will become a monk.” Spared, and true to his word, Martin Luther enrolled in seminary. After two years, he earned his Doctorate, but the more he studied theology, the more he knew he could never be righteous enough to earn God’s favor. To this end, he regularly beat himself, slept outside in freezing temperatures, and fasted for long periods. Still not experiencing the reality of God in his life, he decided to journey to Rome for an audience with the pope. On his way to Rome, however, he contracted a dangerous fever. While recovering in an Alpine monastery, one of the monks, sensing Luther’s struggle, told him to read the Book of Habakkuk. Why Habakkuk? Habakkuk was also one who wrestled with issues. Luther took his advice and when he came to the fourth verse of the second chapter, “The just shall live by faith"he finally understood. “That’s it!” he cried. “If I’m going to be just, it’s not because of what I do or who I am, but by faith in what God’s done and who He is.” However, upon arriving in Rome, with his heart full of excitement, Luther was shocked by the abuses and hypocrisy he found there. Returning to Germany, he realized he had to take a stand. So in 1517, he nailed a parchment containing ninety-five theses challenging the pope to the university door in Wittenburg. Three and a half years later, Rome answered, “Retract or die.” After burning this response, Luther was summoned to Rome. In 1521, the Diet of Worms was convened, at which the Church realized, that due to his popularity, they had a problem in Luther. “We’re giving you a second opportunity to recant,” they saidto which Martin Luther gave his classic reply: “Here I stand. I can do no other, so help me God.” Luther’s stand gave rise to the birth of the Jesuitsan order dedicated to enforcing papal power no matter the cost. Meanwhile, the Reformation swept across Europe. Luther in Germany, Zwingli in Switzerland, Knox in Scotland all called for a return to the Biblewhich strengthened the determination of the Jesuits to stand by the pope and stem the tide of what they perceived to be heresy… Of the four million people living in Bohemia in 1600, 80 percent were “Protest-ants"sympathizers of the Reformation. Two years later, the population of Bohemia numbered a mere eight hundred thousand. Austria and Hungary were also early hotbeds of the Reformation. Today, when we think of these countries, we think Catholic. Why? Because the worst bloodshed in history took place in the wake of the Reformationeven worse than the persecution of Christians under the Roman emperors and the holocaust of Nazi Germany under Hitler. This upheaval and bloodshed was so far-reaching that the seeds of the events in Bosnia and Northern Ireland today have their roots in those terrible, brutal times. And understanding this context of the Reformation is vital to understanding the meaning of the text before us… Meaning “remnant,” Sardis is a fitting name. Built on a one thousand-foot bluff, Sardis was an extremely wealthy city that seemed invincibleuntil the year 549 B.C. when Cyrus, conqueror of the city of Babylon, also conquered Sardis. Sardis was conquered again three hundred years later, a fact to which Jesus will allude… As you read this section, you will notice that all of the references about Christ in chapter 1 are repeated again in chapters 2 and 3. We saw in verse 4 of chapter 1 that the “seven Spirits of God” refers to the seven-fold nature of the Holy Spirit as seen in Isa_11:2. Why would this description be repeated in conjunction with Sardis? Because, while most traditional mainline Protestants like Lutherans, Presbyterians, Wesleyans, Methodists, and Congregationalists champion everything from homosexuality to environmental issuesthey are wary of the ministry of the Spirit. The word translated “name” is onoma in Greek, from which we get our word “denomination.” You can go out tonight and behold the beauty of the North Star. In reality, however, you don’t know if it’s there. Thirty-three light years away, it could have blown up thirty-two years ago, and we wouldn’t know it until next year. So, too, there are those who proudly say, “Look at this group, or that denomination.” And the Lord says, “You’re depending on reputation, on history, on what it used to be. You’re resting in tradition, not relationship.” Although Jesus had much to correct in Thyatira, He commended them in verse Rev_3:19 for their works and charity, service, faith, and patience. But here at Sardis, He simply says, “You’re dead.”

Revelation 3:2

Why should Sardis be watchful? Because their city fell when they weren’t watching. So, too, spiritually, they were saying, “We’re on solid ground. No one’s going to knock us down.” “You guys in Sardis should know better than that,” Jesus says. “Your own history should tell you the results of being haughty and arrogant, of resting in a false sense of security.” What was received initially? The Biblefrom Wycliffe, Calvin, Knox, Luther. “Remember how it was received initially,” Jesus is pleading. “And repent for how far you’ve come from that foundation.” Tragically, the Jesus Projectthe group of theologians who concluded that “It is more blessed to give than to receive” is the only verifiable phrase uttered by Jesusis comprised of mainline Protestants. And their sin is greater in God’s economy than the abuses of the Roman Church with her bloodshed and immorality because they have bought into liberal theology. What’s worse, they are undermining people’s beliefs by muddying even the clearest statements of Christ. Jesus says, “If you don’t get back to basics, I’m going to come to you as a thief.” This is where mainline denominationalism increasingly finds itself. Proponents of such do not believe in a Rapture, or even a Millennium. They teach that the promises of the kingdom, the sayings of Isaiah, the teachings of Revelation are simply allegorical. “Don’t look for the Rapture,” they say, “and don’t look for a real kingdom established on earth.” Thus, they will be totally caught off guard by Jesus’ return.

Revelation 3:4

In other words, those in Sardisor in this epoch of church history that began in A.D. 1500 and goes on until the kingdom comeswho have stayed true to the Word will be overcomers. When someone comes to me broken-hearted about his sin, I take him to Joh_10:28, wherein Jesus says we are eternally secure in His hand, to Rom_8:38-39 where we read that nothing can separate us from the love of God, and to 2Ti_1:12, where we are reminded that He is able to keep that which is committed to Him. But when someone comes to me and says, “I don’t care what you think. I’m going to do this anyway. It’s none of your business,” I take him to a different set of Scripturesto 1Co_6:9-10; Gal_5:19-21; Eph_5:3-5; and here to Rev_3:5because if there’s no repentance month after year after decade, his salvation is not on very solid ground.

Revelation 3:6

Every generation needs its own Reformation, its own renewal, its own revival. It’s not enough for a generation to hear about how it was in their parents’ day. The Jesus Movement of the ’60s was wonderfulbut the days to come are going to be grander still because God’s heart is to go from glory to greater glory whenever we get out of the way and don’t fall prey to the Sardis Syndrome.

Revelation 3:7

In this next phase of church history, we see a stirring in the dead denominationalism that had strayed from the simplicity of the gospel. Two books sat in the London shop of a young cobbler: a well-worn Bible and Captain Cook’s journal. As the days went by, the cobbler found himself losing interest in working on the soles of shoes, and caring more about the souls of people in far regions. So deep was the passion that stirred within him that on May 31, 1793, he walked into the little Protestant church he attended and said, “Could I please share?” Allowed to speak a word, he read Isa_54:2-3. “We must lengthen the cords; we must strengthen the stakes,” he preached passionately. “We must include others who have never heard. I want to go. Send me to India.” His request stunned his congregation. After all, it had been one thousand years since anyone had launched a foreign missionary endeavor. But their surprise didn’t stop Carey’s congregation from sending him to India. In his first ten years, he became fluent in twelve languages. One of his works, the Bible he translated in Sanskrit, is still used to this day. William Carey goes down in history as the father of the modern missionary movementas suddenly the church awoke from her lethargy. Carey set the example that one doesn’t have to be skilled, gifted, or special to be used in the kingdom. God is simply looking for men who are willing to go. The church at Philadelphia speaks of this age of church history beginning in the 1800s, for it was through men like Carey in India and Hudson Taylor in China, D. L. Moody in America and C. H. Spurgeon in London that evangelism was taking place and missionaries were being sent out. The letter to Philadelphia is one of only two letters of the seven in which Jesus has nothing critical to say. Why? Perhaps it is because the Philadelphians were involved in evangelism. They were loving the lostand love covers a multitude of sins (1Pe_4:8). There are three Greek words for love. Eros is erotic or sensual love. Phileo is brotherly love. Agape is God’s love. The city of Philadelphia was founded in 189 B.C. by a man named Eumanes II. When he died, he was succeeded by his younger brother, Attalus II, who named buildings after his older brother, minted coins bearing his brother’s image, and talked about his brother constantly. Consequently, the people of the town began to call this place Philo-delphia, or the city of brotherly love. Nothing is coincidental in the Scriptures. I believe it is true that every book of the Bible is inspired. And every chapter of every book is inspired. And every verse of every chapter is inspired. And every word of every verse is inspired. And every letter of every word is inspired. In fact, I agree with the Rabbis that every space between every word is inspired! Thus, it is no surprise that Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love is the center of evangelism. In chapter 1, we read that Jesus holds the keys of hell and death (Rev_1:18). To this missionary church, He says He holds an additional key: the key of Davidwhich takes one back to the key of David spoken of in Isaiah 22, wherein we read of a man named Shebna, who was the treasurer in the kingdom of Judah during the reign of Hezekiah. After Shebna used temple money to purchase a sepulcher and chariots for himself, Isaiah came on the scene and said, “What are you doing? You had opportunity, but you abused it.” So the key to the treasury was taken from off Shebna’s shoulder, where the key was traditionally worn, and given to a godly man who wore it wisely. Isaiah went on to speak of this one who used the keys properly as being “fastened like a nail,” or steadfast and dependable. Of course, we think of another who was fastenednot like a nail, but with a nail.

We think of another who perfectly carried the key of the government upon His shoulder (Isa_9:6). We think of Jesus. Jesus is the One who opened the doors for William Carey in India, Hudson Taylor in China, for us in the United States, in Mexico, in Honduras, in Vanuatu. But He also shuts doors that can’t be opened. If a man continually says, “No,” to the Lord, there will come a time when he will be unable to say, “Yes"at which point he’s locked in to his eternal decision and destruction.

Revelation 3:8

There are those who teach that in the last days there will be a major manifestation of the sons of God; that miracles will happen, wherein every sick person is healed and glorious things will occur. But I believe that’s hype and hyperbole. Yes, there are some good things happening. But it’s the time of little strength. Jesus does not say this condemningly. He merely says that’s the way it is during the age of Philadelphia. Thus, it’s not an indictment, but rather an honest assessment of the “last days” church at Philadelphia. Besides having little strength, the “last days” church at Philadelphia is a church that has returned to the Word, has a desire for the Word and studies the Scriptures constantly. The idea here is “You have not denied My deity. You recognize I am who I claim to benot just an interesting teacher, not just a model of how to live successfully, of how to have prosperity, or of how to be happy. I am the Christ.”

Revelation 3:9

In this end-times church there is a synagogue of Satanthose who say they are Jews but aren’t. Who are these people? In John’s day, the reference would have been to the Jews who persecuted believers. Jesus said previously and reiterates here, “They’re not true Jews, any more than Christians who persecute Jews are true Christians.” In our day, I believe the reference is to the growing number of people in the Christian community who say, “Because God is through with the Jew, we are Israel.” In The Road to the Holocaust, Hal Lindsey proves that the deaths of six million Jews did not begin with the Third Reich. They began one hundred years earlier, when Bible teachers began to teach that God is through with the Jew. Anti-Semitism is always the mark of a people who fail to read their Bibles, for in Romans 9-11 God declares He is not through with Israel. There are three categories of people in the Bible: Jews, Gentiles, and the church. Who makes up the church? Former Jews and former Gentiles. This is important to understand because we need to realize that the reason for the Tribulation is the fact that God is not through with Israel. The Rapture is when Jesus comes to get usbut the Second Coming is when Jesus comes back to rescue Israel. May God help us to never lose our understanding of Israel’s importance.

Revelation 3:10

What is the word of His patience? In 2Th_3:5, we are told that God is establishing us in the patience of waiting for Jesus Christ. I point this out because the church at Philadelphia is the church interested in Bible prophecy. Although in the first two centuries, the topics of Jesus’ Second Coming and the Rapture of the church were central themes of preaching and writing, Bible prophecy was lost as an interest in the church until the 1800s because people said, “It’s impossible for a nation to come back from the dead. “It’s unthinkable that the Jewish people could have a national identity again. It’s gotta be an allegory. Why would the Middle East be the focal point of a battle?

Who cares about the Middle East?” We now understand why that region of the world is so strategic: oil. Economically, militarily, politically, the attention of the whole world is constantly focused on the Middle East. The Greek word translated “from” is ek, which means “out of.” In other words, Jesus says, “You at Philadelphia, you of little strength, you’ve kept My Word and you haven’t denied My Name. You’ve gone through the open door, and you’ve been patiently awaiting My coming. Because of this, I will take you out of the time period of temptation yet to come.” I believe the church is the group of people who will be taken out of the hour of temptation that shall come upon all the world. This is not simply local persecution in Philadelphia, but a time of difficulty that encompasses the entire globe. And there’s only one event that fits this description: the Tribulation. The Rapture Controversy A Topical Study of Rev_3:10 The Book of Acts tells us the Berean believers were more noble than their neighbors in Thessalonica because the Bereans searched the Scriptures to validate what Paul taught them (Act_17:11). So, too, I want our church family to be able to say, “Here’s why we believe what we do.” To this end, I would like to submit to you thirteen reasons why I believe the church will be raptured before the Tribulation. “Well, I have friends who say the church will go through the Tribulation. Why get all concerned about this issue?” you might say. My answer is because I believe one’s view on Bible prophecy and the timing of the Rapture will affect the way one lives out his faith. Why does the debate continue concerning the timing of this event? I believe it is due to misunderstanding in three areas: The Elect For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.Mat_24:21-22 On the basis of this verse, people say “Aha! Here we see the elect in the Tribulation"failing to realize that the term “elect” refers to three groups of people: Christians (Col_3:12), Israel (Isa_45:4), and those who will be saved in the Tribulation (Mat_24:21-22). To which of the elect does Jesus refer in Mat_24:21? I believe the answer lies in the verse preceding it… But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day.Mat_24:20 Even to this day, transportation in Israel is shut down on the Sabbath. Since the Sabbath means nothing to Gentile nations, the application to Israel is clear. The Trumpets In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.1Co_15:52 On the basis of this verse, people say, “Aha! According to Revelation 11, the seventh, or last trump signaling the Rapture, will take place midway through the Tribulation.” But wait a minute. The seventh trumpet of Revelation 11 is sounded by angels, whereas 1Th_4:16 makes it clear that the last trump is sounded by God. In Exodus 19, God sounded the first trump when the Jews were gathered at the foot of Mount Sinai to hear the law. The last trump will sound when the church is gathered to meet the Lord in the air and taken to heaven. Thus, the Jews hear the first trump; the church hears the last. The following thirteen reasons are why I believe this trump of God will sound before the Tribulation…

1. The doctrine is to be a comforting one (1Th_4:18). The belief that the Rapture happens after or in the middle of the Tribulation is anything but comforting because it means believers must endure unbelievable agony before they are taken to heaven.
2. The Tribulation is the outpouring of the wrath of the Lamband God has not appointed us to wrath (1Th_5:9-11). The wrath that should have been hurled at you and poured out on me was absorbed by our Hero, our Lord, our Savior on the Cross of Calvary.
3. Rapture before the Tribulation is illustrated in Genesis 19, where we see angels delivering Lot and his family before the destruction of Sodom. How do I know this is a picture of the Rapture? Because in reference to this, Peter writes, “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations” (2Pe_2:9). The word translated “temptations” is the same word translated “tribulation.”
4. Rapture before the Tribulation is illustrated in Enoch, who was taken to heaven prior to the Flood (Gen_5:24). “Wrong analogy,” some protest. “The correct picture is Noah who went through the tribulation of the Flood.” But wait a minute. Noah is not a picture of the church, but of Israel, who will indeed go through the Tribulationand will at last come to Jesus as a result.
5. Rapture before the Tribulation is illustrated in Daniel 3. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar, they were thrown into a fiery furnace. But where was their friend Daniel? Either he did, indeed, bow to Nebuchadnezzarwhich is completely contrary to the rest of the bookor, his omission is in itself a picture of the Rapture. Bible scholars believe that, very likely, he was away on official business as an emissary. All we know with certainty, however, is that he was taken out of the scene.
6. Jesus told us to pray that we would be raptured before the Tribulation. In speaking of the Tribulation in His Olivet Discourse, Jesus said, “Watch and pray always that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things” (see Luk_21:36). How are we accounted worthy? One way: We are worthy because of what Jesus did for us on the Cross of Calvary.
7. Pre-Tribulation Rapture makes sense historically and scripturally. In accordance with Jewish custom, when a man came of age to marry, he would add a room on to his father’s house for himself and his bride. When the addition was complete, and when the father gave the go-ahead, a trumpet would sound, and the bridegroom would go to meet his bride. Following the wedding ceremony, the bridegroom would take his bride to his father’s house, where they would be tucked away for seven days in the newly completed “bridal suite.” At the end of seven days, the bridegroom would come out with his bride and introduce her to the community. That’s exactly what’s going to happen with us. Jesus, our Bridegroom, is preparing a place for us in heaven, His Father’s house (Joh_14:2). At the appointed time known only by the Father, a trumpet will sound and Jesus will meet us, His bride, in the air to escort us up to the “Bridal Suite” He has prepared for us. We will remain with Him in heaven for seven years before we are presented to the world, where we will rule and reign with Him.
8. Pre-Tribulation Rapture follows the outline of the Book of Revelation. If you don’t embrace a Pre-Tribulation view, your understanding of Revelation becomes as twisted as a pretzel because you’ve got to put chapters 4 and 5 after chapter 11, if you hold to a Mid-Tribulation stance; after chapter 19 if you take a Post-Tribulation point of view. Only a Pre-Tribulation placement of the Rapture allows for a consistent flow of the Book of Revelation.
9. Pre-Tribulation Rapture allows for the conditional aspect of the Tribulation. To the church at Thyatira, Jesus said, “If you don’t repent, you will experience Tribulation” (see Rev_2:22). If the Rapture won’t occur until after the Tribulation, what would be the reason for this warning of Jesus? “Well, didn’t Jesus say in this world we would have tribulation?” you ask. Yes, but the crushing the believer goes through in the world is from Satan. The Tribulation of chapters 6-19, on the other hand, is from God as He pours out His wrath on a Christ-rejecting world. Folks, God will not allow anyone to get hit from both sides. If we experience tribulation in the world because of our faith, we will not experience the Tribulation of those who have none.
10. Pre-Tribulation Rapture allows for the unknown time of the Lord’s return. According to Daniel’s prophecy, three and a half biblical years (a Biblical year being three hundred sixty days) from the day Antichrist enters the temple and demands worship midway through the Tribulation, the Lord will return. Consequently, if believers were on earth during the Tribulation, they would be able to predict the exact time of the Second Comingthree and a half biblical years, or forty-two months, or one thousand two hundred sixty days after Antichrist enters the temple. The problem is, 1Th_5:2 and Mat_24:36 make it clear that no one knows the hour of His coming. Therefore, it follows that believers must be absent at this time.
11. The Tribulation is unnecessary for the church. Referred to as the time of Jacob’s trouble, the Tribulation targets Israel, for through it she will be awakened and at last see Jesus as the Messiah (Deu_4:29-30). The promises God made to Abraham and to the Jewish people have not been forgotten, gang. God will work with Israel in the days of the Tribulation. He will make Himself known to themand they shall indeed be saved.
12. Pre-Tribulation Rapture squares with the prophecy of Daniel. At the end of Daniel 9, Daniel was given the timetable for all of Jewish history in units of heptads, or weeks. It is clear from this all-important passage of Scripture that the sixty-nine weeks of Daniel refer to the time between the commandment to rebuild the temple, given in 445 B.C. by Artaxerxes, and the coming of Messiah, fulfilled perfectly on Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. But Daniel was also told, “Seventy weeks are determined upon Israel.” To what does the seventieth week of Daniel refer? To the Tribulation.

You see, the seventy weeks of Daniel refer to Israel. The church was not present for the first sixty-nine weeks. And the seventieth week doesn’t begin until after the church is raptured. In other words, if the church was not present in the first sixty-nine weeks, why would she be present in the last week? She won’t. She’ll be in heaven. Those are twelve reasons I believe the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation. But the most important one is the following: A Pre-Tribulation Rapture viewpoint makes one seek first the kingdom. “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing” (Mat_24:45-46). Who is the one who will have authority and purpose in eternity? He who is watching for Jesus’ coming. But this is impossible for those who believe the Tribulation precedes the Rapture because they must first watch for Antichrist, then the rebuilding of the temple, and finally the Abomination of Desolation when Antichrist demands to be worshiped as God. Two factors kept the early church on fire: the empowering of the Holy Ghost and the belief that Jesus would return during their lifetime. “But He didn’t come back in their day,” you say. And you’re rightbut do you think those early believers are in heaven now, saying, “We didn’t get bogged down in materialism or trivial pursuits. We sought the Lord. We witnessed fervently. We lived for the kingdom. If only we knew He wasn’t coming, we could have played more racquetball”? No! They’re ecstatic that they chose to do what Jesus says to do in every generationto watch, to be ready, to live for His coming. Whether or not you believe in a pre-Tribulation Rapture will not affect where you’ll ultimately end up. If you’re a believer, you’ll be in heaven no matter what position you hold. But your viewpoint concerning the Rapture very definitely affects how you live your life this side of eternity. If you do not believe in a pre-Tribulation Rapture, you cannot look for Jesus Christ because, according to your eschatological viewpoint, Antichrist must appear first. Therefore, you find yourself scanning the news, checking out current events, watching the global scene for Antichrist rather than for Jesus. And this puts believers in a “survivalist” mentality. “We’re going through the Tribulation,” they say. “We better get ready.” Is this what Jesus meant?

Does He want us storing gold and guns? Or does He want us living every day in hopeful anticipation that today could be the day we go to heaven? “I want you looking for Jesus every day,” John said, “because he who has the hope of the imminent, sudden appearing of Christ and the Rapture of the church purifies himself” (see 1Jn_3:3). That is why I believe your view on the Rapture is of utmost importance. Live in constant expectancy of Jesus’ return, gang. Be watching and be ready.

Revelation 3:11

Tachu, the Greek word translated “quickly,” actually means “suddenly.” Thus, the Lord could come at any moment. Only we who believe in a pre-Tribulation Rapture can say, “It could be today.” Mid- and post-Tribulationists, on the other hand, have no recourse but to say, “The Lord can’t come back today because the Tribulation hasn’t begun yet.” But we say, “It could be today.” And such is the throbbing heartbeat of Bible prophecy. This is intriguing. “I’m coming suddenly,” Jesus says, “so hold fast in order that you don’t lose your crown.” “Crown?” you say. “I don’t have one yet. What does this mean?” I believe the answer is found in 1Th_2:19-20, where Paul identifies the crown as peoplepeople with whom we’ve shared, people for whom you’ve prayed. “Stay with them,” says Jesus. “Keep praying for them. Don’t give up on them.”

Revelation 3:12

“Hold fast to your crown, look for My coming, and you will be planted firmly as a pillar in My kingdom,” says Jesus. The best part about making the team was that I got to wear the jacket. You see, the Hornets were the #1 Pop Warner football team in the nation five years out of six. So the word “Hornets” emblazoned across the jacket I wore every day to fifth grade made me feel like I had arrivedregardless of the fact that the year I played as third-string quarterback our record was two wins, seven losses. Even though I was terrible and our team stunk, I still got to wear the jacket. So, too, the Lord says, “I’m going to put the name of My Father on your jacket. His will be the Name you wear for eternity.” You’re not only going to have the glory of God emblazoned upon you, but you’re going to have the government of God given to you. The New Jerusalem is going to make any city on this planet look insignificant. And we will be residents therein. Pro_25:2 says it is the glory of God to conceal or to hide His name, but the honor of kings to search it out. Because we are a nation of kings and priests (Rev_1:6), we will be those who search out His name. It’s as if the Lord is saying, “There are aspects of who I am of which you have no idea on this earth, for it will take eternity for you to perceive and enjoy the aspects of My being. It’s My glory to conceal a thing. It’s your privilege to search it out.” When we get to heaven, we’re truly going to be the bride of Christ. I pity our poor brides, guys, because as time goes on, it must be disappointing, disheartening, disillusioning, and depressing to them to see our flaws become ever more evident. Not so with God. Unlike any relationship on earth, this one will only produce greater and greater ecstasy, greater and greater delight as we explore the nooks and crannies of His nature for all eternity.

Revelation 3:13

Brotherly love, evangelism, holding fast are all characteristics of this church at Philadelphiawhich is perhaps best typified by Francis of Assisi when he said, “Witness wherever you go, and if absolutely necessary, use words.” Truly, evangelism is directly connected to love.

Revelation 3:14

Six miles south of Philadelphia, the city of Laodicea was the banking center of the region. Consequently, it had ample money to spend on entertainmentas evidenced by the thirty thousand-seat amphitheatre whose ruins still stand. In addition, Laodicea was known throughout history as being very tricky politically because the city was built in a way that it could not defend itself militarilya very unusual trait for an ancient city. The only way Laodicea could survive was by making compromises with her enemies. Finally, even as Aristotle noted, Laodicea was known for the eye salve manufactured there, highly valued in the ancient world. All of these factors figure in to what Jesus will say to this group. Take note that the address is not to the church at Laodicea, but to the church of the Laodiceans. The Greek word laos, from which we get our word “laity,” means “people.” Diece means “decision” or “rule.” Thus, the church of the Laodiceans was directed by the people rather than guided by the Lord. The Laodicean mentality remains. I’m amazed at the influential churches whose services regularly include interviews with celebrities who are not living godly lives, who have not taken a stand for Jesus Christ, who have little more than positive stories to sharechurches where people rule; wherein “Smile, be happy,” has replaced the message of repentance. Why does Jesus refer to Himself as “the Amen”? “Amen” meaning “so be it,” Jesus identifies Himself to this group so prone to compromise, saying, “There is certainty. It’s Me.” The Greek word translated “witness” is martus, from which we get our word “martyr.” What is a witness? One who lives so much like Jesus Christ and is so in love with Jesus Christ that he ends up being crucified even as Jesus Christ was crucified. The Bible puts it this way: Yea, all those who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2Ti_3:12). “Don’t talk about suffering,” the Laodicean would say. “We just want to be positive and happy.” You’ll never hear a message about suffering, persecution, or martyrdom in a Laodicean church. They don’t want to think about those things. The truth, however, is that if we’re living godly, we’re going to get nailed. No question. Cultists often use this verse to say that Jesus is created and therefore not coequal with the Father. But the Greek word translated “beginning” is arche, which actually means “the origin.” You see, God the Father created all things through the Son (Col_1:16) by the power of the Spirit (Gen_1:2). In the last days, the question is, and will continue to be, “Who is the Creator?” Evolution being part of the end-time deception, it is no surprise that in the church of the Laodiceans there will be questions concerning creation.

Revelation 3:15

In Laodicea’s sister city of Hieropolis were hot springsfrom which the present-day Turkish government is trying to extract geo-thermal power. To take advantage of this, an aqueduct was constructed that carried the hot water from Hieropolis through Laodicea and on to Colossae. In theory, it was a good idea. But in reality, by the time the water reached Laodicea, it was lukewarm. Thus, as lukewarm water flowed through their city, the Laodiceans would know hot water was useful, cold water was refreshing, but lukewarm water was not good for much. The Lord says the same thing about His people. “If you’re hot, I can use you. If you’re cold, I can deal with you. But if you’re lukewarm, you’ll neither be hot enough to use nor cold enough to correct.”

Revelation 3:17

To this Laodicean church, which wasn’t talking about the reality of sin, the need for repentance, or the Cross of Christ; which didn’t speak of witnessing, standing, and living for eternity, Jesus said, “You think you’re richbut you’re impoverished. You think you’re doing well, but you’re miserable.”

Revelation 3:18

In Bible days, smelters would take the gold brought in from the mines and heat it by fire until it liquefied. After stirring it until the impurities were burned out, they would know the process was complete when the smelter could look into the pot of liquid gold and see the reflection of his own face. Because Jesus is the Master Smelter, He uses heat as well. So, to these people who were impure, carnal, vacillating, and lukewarm, He says, “Get into the fire. Get into the battle. Engage yourself like you once did in ministry.” Before the Battle of Trafalgar, knowing this particular battle would determine the fate of Europe, Lord Nelson assembled his men and said, “In the event you cannot see or read the signals in the heat of battle, know this: No captain in this fleet can do wrong if he places his ship alongside that of an enemy.” I like that! “Captains, if you can’t read my signals, and you don’t know what to do, the answer is very simple: Engage in battle the first enemy you can find.” So, too, when you feel yourself becoming complacent, get involved in service, in sharing, in ministry. Determine in your heart to engage yourself once more in the fire of ministrynot because God wants to watch you burn, but because He wants to warm your heart and get you going again. The Laodiceans were not only to get back into the race, but also to get back to grace. Throughout Scripture, white raiment speaks of the robe of righteousness (Isa_61:10) given to those who are in Christ. The Laodiceans were known for a unique kind of wool taken from black sheep, yet the Lord says to them, “You might be fashion plates with your black garments, but you need garments of whiterighteous garments, the covering of My grace.” The same Jesus who says, “Anoint your eyes with eye salve,” is the One who put mud in the blind man’s eyes in John 9. The way of the Great Physician is to allow irritation to produce illumination. “You’re seeing everything in a carnal way,” He says, “and you need to humble yourself before Me and deal with the mud.” “Ouch,” we say. “That mud hurts.” But in reality, there must be an awareness of the problems in our hearts and the trouble in our souls before we can see. “Search me, O God,” cried David, “and see if there be any wicked way in me” (see Psa_139:23-24). Listen, if you’re feeling Laodicean, if you feel lukewarm, you need to ask the Great Physician to search you, for that will be the eye salve that will allow you to see clearly. How long has it been, dear saint, since you’ve been on your face before the Lord saying, “Search me concerning the words on my lips, the bitterness in my heart, and the thoughts on my mind”? Truly, confession precedes vision as surely as irritation precedes illumination.

Revelation 3:19

If you feel miserable and blind, wretched and troubled, the Lord would say to you, “Terrific. This just proves to you conclusively how much I love you.” A coach will always be the harshest on those in whom he sees the most promise. If he sees you as a benchwarmer, he’ll never criticize you. But if you have potential, he’ll have a great deal to say to you.

Revelation 3:20

While this verse has been used as a powerful illustration of the invitation for personal salvation, Jesus is primarily speaking to the church. Tragically, some people go to church all their lives but never hear a message on repentance, on the fact that there is sin, or that there is a hell. To such a church, Jesus says, “I love you and care about you. That’s why I give this invitation to you.” In every account of Christ’s post-resurrection appearances He’s eating. I like that! That’s where we really find the answer to our Laodicean conditionat His table. As Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 3, there’s a season for everythinga time to weep and a time to rejoice. The Lord’s table has a unique way of bringing us into the full orb of just such diverse emotional reactions and responses because we leave saying, “I’m sobered by my sin, yet elated by the fact that it’s washed away.” Jesus at the Door A Topical Study of Rev_3:20 No doubt you’ve seen the classic picture by Holman Hunt of Jesus knocking on a door. Now hanging in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, upon its first unveiling, it is said that a certain critic said, “You’ve made a mistake, Mr. Hunt. There’s no handle on the door.” “That was intentional,” the artist is said to have replied. “The door opens only from the inside.” If this story is true, Holman Hunt was right, for it’s up to you and me to let the Lord into our lives. He won’t kick the door down. He won’t force His way into our hearts. Yet although we use this verse as a call to individual salvation, it was actually written to a self-satisfied congregation. Is Jesus talking to people meeting in His Name who are supposed to be Christians? Yes. And is He saying He’s on the outside and wants to come in? Yep. Well, how does one get to the point where the Lord is on the outside? How does a church get to the place where it thinks it’s doing fine but is spiritually bankrupt? If it happened at Laodicea, can it happen to us? Because Scripture is the best interpreter of Scripture, turn with me to the Song of Solomon for the answer. The story is of a king, a bridegroom in love with his new bride. After experiencing intimacy with her, the next morning finds him outside her door… My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; the fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.Son_2:10-15 “Come away with me,” says the bridegroom. “The rain has stopped. The birds are singing. I want to hear your voice. I long to see your countenance. Watch out for the little foxesthe subtle little temptations that could hinder our love.” After hearing his invitation and warning, the bride responds… My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies. Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.Son_2:16-17 Here is the bridegroom outside the door, saying, “Honey, come on. It’s a glorious morning. I want to take you to new heights, to hear wonderful songs, to be on guard against the little foxes.” And what does his bride say? “It’s too early. You go play on the hills, and I’ll catch up with you later.” Doctrinal Drowsiness By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.Son_3:1-2 What happened here is something that can happen to us corporately or to you and me individually. It’s the danger of doctrinal drowsiness that says, “Lord, I know You’re calling me to come away this morning and seek You. But I’m yours and You’re mine. I’m robed in Your righteousness, and my name is written in Your book (yawn), so I’ll meet with you a little later…zzz…” As the day progresses, however, and the trials arise, we cry, “Lord, Lord! Where are You?” Like this bride, how often we say, “I don’t feel the Lord anymore. My day is empty. My night is dark. Where is He?” The answer is, when He called to us we chose to say, “I don’t need to go to Bible study. I don’t need devotions this morning. I don’t need to expend the energy because I’m His and He’s mine.” As the story unfolds, we see that as the bride seeks her bridegroom she does, indeed, find him. But it takes energy. So, too, Jeremiah 29 says, “You shall seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all of your heart.” There’s no room for laziness in our relationship with the Lord. “But I’m saved,” you say. Yes, you are. “The Lord is mine and I am His.” That’s true, too. “And I can just be at peace and rest in the finished work of the Cross.” Absolutely. But watch out for a dangerous doctrinal drowsiness that keeps you from responding when the Lord pulls on the strings of your heart during your lunch hour, saying, “Come away, My beloved. There are some mountains I want to show you, some songs I want to share with you.” You see, the Lord comes to us constantly, saying, “Drop what you’re doing and take five minutes and talk to Me,” or, “Take ten minutes and worship Me,” or, “Take fifteen minutes to pour out your heart to Me.” “The Spirit is like the wind,” said Jesus. “No man knows from whence it comes or where it goes” (see Joh_3:8). Hang gliders understand this. When they get a report that the thermals are perfect, they don’t say, “I can’t go today, but maybe tomorrow I can fit it in"because there’s no guarantee the winds will blow the same way tomorrow. Avid hang gliders move when the wind is blowing. So do surfers. When the swells are five feet, they don’t say, “Thanks for the invitation. I can’t go this week, but next week I’ll be there"because there’s no guarantee what they’ll find the following week. The same is true in spiritual life. When the thermal of the Spirit, when the wave of the Holy Ghost is rolling in, I must respond immediately. “But that’s irresponsible,” you say. “What about obligations or family responsibilities?” Let me tell you something: The Holy Spirit knows about those. He’s not going to say, “Oh, I forgot. You have that meeting,” or, “Forgive me, I didn’t know about your business obligation or your family commitment.” No, the Holy Spirit knows our schedules. Thus, it’s not the conflicts that are the problem. It’s the times we think we deserve to watch CNN for an hour, to watch a 49’ers game, or to read Newsweekfor those are the times the Lord calls us to come away. Spiritual Self-Centeredness I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.Son_5:2 “Foxes have holes, birds have nests, but the Son of Man hath nowhere to lay His head” (see Mat_8:20). The hair of the King of kings was full of dew because He came to enter the dark night of human sin. Yet how does the bride respond to her bridegroom? I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.Son_5:3-6 “I am perfumed,” the bride says. “My feet are washed. Why should I defile myself opening the door for you?” Follow the analogy, gang. Jesus came to seek and save those who were lost. Without a home, His locks are full of dew. His hands are soiled from touching humanity. He gave everything. He bled. He died. He who knew no sin became sin for us. If we’re not careful, however, like the bride, we can say, “I don’t want to soil my hands. I just want to be mystical. I want to stand in the midst of the candlesticks with incense wafting over my head.” “That’s not where I’m at,” says our Bridegroom. “My head is wet because I came to impact the world. Forget your clean hands and feet. There is practical ministry to do. There are people to touch.” There’s a tragic self-centeredness to which the bride is vulnerableespecially after she’s been a bride for a while. It’s not about how we’re doing. It’s about how willing we are to dirty our feet, open the door, and give to others. This account is interesting because I wouldn’t have chosen doctrinal drowsiness and spiritual self-centeredness to characterize those who don’t open the door to Jesus. If I were writing the Bible, I would have said, “That which will separate you from intimacy with Jesus is a specific sin, or a particular problem.” But Jesus says it is our failure to respond to the prompting of His Spirit and our being enamored with our own holiness that separate us from Him. I also find it extremely interesting that the bride located her bridegroom by giving a detailed description of him to her friends (Son_5:10-16). In other words, she realized where to find him not when she sat in her room with her clean hands and feet, but when she ran out into the city and said, “Let me tell you about this one whom my soul loves.” The same thing happens to me. I’ll be wondering where the Lord is and why I’m not sensing His presence, when suddenly there’s someone for me to tell about Him. And sure enough, as I talk about Him, I experience intimacy with Him. Dear sisters, precious brothersthe key to intimacy in your Christian walk, the source of enough spiritual energy to skip on the mountains of fellowship, and share with your neighbors in Jerusalem is to say, “YES,” when the Bridegroom knocks at your door. The waves are perfect. Get out of bed, grab your board, and open the door!

Revelation 3:21

“Open your heart to Me,” Jesus would say, “and I’ll open heaven to you.”

Revelation 3:22

It’s one thing to have Jesus as a Model or a Mascot. That’s what they were doing at Laodicea. They were “good Christians.” But Jesus is not to be a Model or a Mascot. He is to be our Master. That’s what He was asking of that congregation. And that’s what He’s asking of you and me. May this church not be a place that is popularfull of people who have good mottoes and good intentions. May it be a place where we realize that, although we’re sinners who have failed miserably, God has provided Jesus Christ, and He will come in to our hearts to rule and reign within if we simply open the door. Revelation in the Congregation A Topical Study of Revelation 2-3 Rugged individualism is highly esteemed by our culture, but not by God… Of all God created, the only thing He declared “not good” was the fact that Adam was alone (Gen_2:18). When God called Abraham, His promise was not to make him a great man, but to make of him a great nation (Gen_12:2). Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father…” (Mat_6:9). “Bear one another’s burdens” Paul would write (see Gal_6:2). “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together,” the writer of Hebrews would echo (see Heb_10:25). The Christian walk is all about togetherness, community. It’s all about being a holy nation, a corporate entity because God is not into spiritual Lone Rangers. Jesus Is Seen in and Through the Church At the outset of this Book, John was not instructed to lock away in his private journal a record of that which he would see. On the contrary, he was to circulate it throughout the churches to whom he ministered. In other words, the vision is for the church in its entirety. Each part of the church has a certain revelation. And we don’t see the whole picture unless we’re in the congregation. This troubles me. You see, my natural inclination is to go from chapter 1 to chapter 4. Why? The mysteries of the Lord revealed in chapter 1 intrigue me endlessly. And the glories of heaven revealed in chapter 4 delight me deeply. But I can’t go from chapter 1 to 4 without going through chapters 2 and 3which deal with the church, with people. One day, I was reading about a lady who grew tired of ugly architecture, off-key singing, silly sermonizing, and hypocritical Christians dozing. She stopped going to church for thirty years. As I was reading, my dog Sam plopped himself outside my door. I invited him in, where he curled up at my feet, but after five or six minutes, he started scratching. Fleas. I immediately opened the door and cast him into outer darkness. Listen, folks, problems come with people as sure as fleas come with dogs. But sibling rivalries, difficulties, pressures, and tensions are all part of the process of raising children into mature adults. And that’s what the Father is doing. The lady who stopped attending church came to the realization in her mid-fifties that she had huge gaps in her understanding of God’s nature that would have been filled had she remained in church. Jesus Speaks to and Through the Church Notice each of the seven letters in chapters 2 and 3 ends with the phrase: “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says"not to the mystic, the poet, or the isolated brother, but"to the churches.” Therefore, if you want to hear from the Lord, walk with the Lord, and know more about the Lord, you’ve got to put up with the fleaspeople like me and the ones sitting next to you. Although Jesus said, “If your right hand offends you, cut it off; if your eye offends you, pluck it out” (see Mat_5:29), He didn’t say, “If your ear offends you, cut it off.” You can do without your hand. You can do without your eye. But you can’t do without your ear because faith comes by hearing (Rom_10:17). We have eyelids to shut out the world around us but not “earlids.” God designed us so that we’re always in a state of hearing. I can be asleep, but if someone comes into my house, it is my ears that open my eyes. This is also true in spiritual life. That’s why the ear is so essential. There’s no better place to hear the Word of the Lord than the church. Why? Because as we go through the Word together, we receive positive affirmation, corrective exhortation, eternal motivationas clearly seen in each of the seven letters. If you work with peopleas a mom or dad, schoolteacher or employerthese are the three vital elements of your job. Because no one is all bad, there is something to affirm in everyone. Because no one is all good, there is something to correct in everyone. And because we all get weary, there is the need of motivation for everyone. A married couple wants to throw in the towel and call it quits. Saying, “Hang in there, and your marriage will get better,” doesn’t work, because maybe it won’t. A teenager wants to compromise his walk. Saying, “Just wait, and you’ll outgrow that desire,” doesn’t work, because maybe he won’t. A young woman struggles with sickness. Saying, “Don’t give up, you’ll get better,” doesn’t work, because maybe she won’t. That’s why the singular motivation Jesus used was heaven. “Stay the course. Keep the faith because of heaven,” He said to those in Pergamos, in Thyatira, in Laodicea. “There’s a tree of life up there, a crown for you, a new name.” As a dad, if I’m only helping my kids get through their teenage years, I’m a failure. If I’m only helping them be successful adults, I’m missing the point. If I’m only making sure they’re set up for retirement, I’ve shirked my responsibility. What does it matter if our sons and daughters navigate life successfullyif they have a bank account, a retirement plan, or win an awardbut are paupers in heaven eternally? On the other hand, making the team or making money will shrink in importance if we’re constantly talking to people about the bigger, overarching principle of eternity. Life is truly a vapor, gang. Heaven is where it’s at. And it’s in and through the church that we are reminded of this daily. Affirmation, exhortation, motivationnowhere else are these components so powerfully and beautifully balanced as, fleas notwithstanding, in the church.