[:en]TO THE CHURCH IN SARDIS (vs. 1-6)
Speaker: Words of Him who holds the 7 spirits of God and the 7 stars:
- Commendation: Good deeds. Some have not soiled their clothes and are worthy
- Rebuke: You have a reputation of being alive but you are dead (spiritually dead) You look so good outwarly but on the inside you are so corrupt.
- Counsel: Wake up and strengthen what remains and is about to die. Remember what you have received and heard. Obey it and repent.
- Punishment: I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
- Reward: He who overcomes will be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels
Sardis was in two locations. The older section of the city was on a mountain while the newer section was in the valley below. They have the reputation for being active but they were inflicted with sin and soiled clothes. They looked so good on the outside but so corrupt on the inside. John urged them to obey the Christian truth they had heard when they first believed in Christ. “Dressed in white” means to set apart for God and make pure. The Book of Life symbolized God’s knowledgment of those who belong to Him.
TO THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA (vs. 7-13)
Speaker: Words of Him who is holy and true and who holds the key of David
- Commendation: Good deeds. You have little strength yet you keep my words and had not denied my name. You kept my command to endure patiently.
- Rebuke: none
- Counsel: Hold on to what you have so that no one will take your crown
- Punishment: None
- Reward: I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars – I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I wil also write on him my new name.
Philadelphia was founded by the citizens of Pergamum. The community was built in a frontier area as a gateway to the central plateau of Asia Minor. Its residents kept bararians out of the region and brought in Greek culture and language. The city was destroyed by an earthquake in AD 17 and aftershocks kept the people so worried that most of them lived outside the city limits.
The “Key of David” represents Christ authority to open the door into the future Kingdom. When the door is opened, no one can close it – salvation is assured. When it is closed, no one can open it – judgment is certain. Believers must patiently obey God no matter what tribulations they may face. The Philadelphians were encouraged to hold tightly on their strength of obedience. And they will dwell in the new Jerusalem – God’s future kingdom which will be new, pure and secure.
[:]