1.
And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
Verse 1
Thy works; thy doings,--thy character.--Dead; that is, in respect to ardor and interest in the cause of Christ.
2.
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
3.
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Verse 3
As a thief; suddenly and unexpectedly.
4.
Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
5.
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Verse 5
Clothed in white raiment; the symbol, in ancient times, of official honor.
6.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
7.
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
Verse 7
The key of David. A key is a symbol of trust and power. The key of David is the key of the house of David, as expressed, Isaiah 22:22. It would represent, therefore, trust and power of the highest character over the people of God.
8.
I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
Verse 8
An open door; opportunities for promoting the cause of Christ. The image is in continuation of the metaphor expressed in the latter part of the Revelation 3:7.
9.
Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
Verse 9
I will make them of the synagogue of Satan; deliver them up to the companionship and power of Satan.--Which say they are Jews, and are not; that is, whose professions of reverence for God are insincere. They say they are Jews, and not Christians, but by refusing to receive Jesus as the Messiah, they show that they are not honest believers in the Scriptures and have not really the spirit of Abraham. "He is not a Jew that is one outwardly," &c. (Romans 2:28,Romans 2:29.)--Worship before thy feet; join themselves humbly and reverently to the church of Christ.
10.
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Verse 10
The word of my patience, that is, my word enjoining patience.--To try them; to put their fidelity to test.
11.
Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Verse 11
Hold that fast, &c.; be firm and decided in your Christian course.
12.
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
13.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
14.
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Verse 14
The Amen, &c. The expressions by which Jesus designates himself are varied in the addresses to the several churches. Most of them are based on portions of the general description given of the appearance of the Son of man, as he manifested himself to John. (Revelation 1:13-20.) The Amen is the one who confirms and establishes his word.
15.
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Verse 15
Hot. The word must not be understood as referring to excitement, but rather to energy and decision. It is calm and steady fidelity, resulting from settled principle, and not a short-lived ardor, which exhibits the true character of Christian devotion.
16.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Verse 16
This mode of expression is only intended to express in a striking manner the displeasure of God against lukewarmness in his friends. We are by no means to understand from it that it is literally better to be open enemies. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus appear to have been timid and hesitating friends of Jesus; but their sin in not being more decided, was not as great as that of open enemies; and so Felix and Agrippa were not as guilty as Caiaphas and Herod And, in modern times, we find that those who regard the Institution, and truths of religion with the most friendly and respectful feelings, constitute the class from which, ordinarily, the greatest number of conversions to true Christianity take place. We are, therefore, clearly to understand this passage only as a pointed and antithetical manner of conveying the general idea that lukewarmness and indifference in the cause of Christ are very sinful, and highly displeasing to God.
17.
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Verse 17
I am rich rich; in piety and good works. They whose religious attainments are really the least, take generally the greatest pride in them.
18.
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Verse 19
This and similar passages, often occurring in the Scriptures, justly afford great comfort to the afflicted and the sorrowful. The view which they present is abundantly confirmed by daily experience, since the almost magic effect of trial and suffering in softening the heart, and opening it to the access of spiritual enjoyments, is very obvious to all who have experienced them.
20.
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21.
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Verse 22
Here end the epistles to the seven churches of Asia. These churches were situated on the main land, near to the Island of Patmos, where John was then residing; and they are named in geographical order, as they would naturally present themselves to the mind of the writer, as he passed in imagination from one to the other, over the region in which they were situated. The nature of the instructions which they contain,--the fact that a mystical number, seven, was the number of churches addressed,--the incorporation of the epistles into this mysterious book,--and, still more, the general address to Christians with which the several epistles are closed,--all conspire to indicate that these warnings and instructions were intended, even in a higher sense than the other Epistles of the New Testament, for the church at large in all ages. They have, accordingly, exerted an influence in respect to the standard of piety, and to the aims and obligations of the Christian life, fully equal to that of any other writings of the apostles. These letters constitute the first division of the book of Revelation. The reader will now enter upon a portion of the book entirely different from what has preceded it, both in structure and design.