Revelation Chapter 3

We are still listening to what the Holy Spirit has to say to the churches, for these messages from Christ belong to our day as well as to the first century. Churches are people, and human nature has not changed. So, as we continue our study, we must not look on these letters as ancient relics. On the contrary, they are mirrors in which we see ourselves!

(Rev 3:1-6) The Church at Sardis

“And to the angel of the assembly in Sardis write: (1)

The city of Sardis mentioned first in this chapter was located in West Asia Minor about fifty miles east of Smyrna and thirty miles southeast of Thyatira. It was an important and wealthy city located on the commercial trade route running east and west through Lydia. An ancient city with a long history, Sardis had come back into prominence under Roman rule. At one time it was the capital of the Kingdom of Lydia. Much of its wealth came from its textile manufacturing and dye industry and its jewelry trade. Most of the city practiced pagan worship, and there were many mystery cults or secret religious societies. The magnificent Temple of Artemis dating from the fourth century B.C. was one of its points of interest and still exists as an important ruin. The remains of a Christian church building, which have been discovered immediately adjacent to the temple, testify of postapostolic Christian witness to this wicked and pagan city noted for its loose living. The church to which the letter was addressed continued its existence until the fourteenth century, but it never was prominent. Today only a small village known as Sart exists amid the ancient ruins. (John Walvoord)

“He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars says these things: (1)

In relation to Sardis Christ is introduced in verse 1 as the One that “hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars.” This reference to the fact that Christ has the seven Spirits of God is similar to the description given in 1:4. Alford notes that in 1:4 the seven spirits are declared merely to be before the throne. In both cases, however, the Holy Spirit is in view. Here there is an apparent allusion to the sevenfold character of the Holy Spirit as resting upon Christ according to the prophecy of Isaiah 11:2-5. There the Holy Spirit is described thus: “the spirit of the Lord… the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” There also He is described as coming from God and resting upon Christ. A similar description is found later in Revelation 5:6. This portrait of Christ points out the qualities which insure the righteous judgment of the wicked, and it is in this character that Christ is introduced to the church of Sardis. In addition to having the sevenfold Spirit of God, Christ is revealed as the One who has the seven stars, interpreted in 1:20 as the angels or messengers of the seven churches. The fact that the leaders of the church represented by these messengers belong to Christ makes their leadership and transmission of the message all the more authoritative and responsible. The same description of Christ as holding the seven stars in His right hand was given in relation to the letter to the church at Ephesus in 2:1 to make clear that the leaders of the church are responsible to no human representative of Christ and must give account directly to the Lord Himself. (John Walvoord)

“I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. (1)

Of the church at Sardis He declares, “I know thy works.” As in the case of the other churches, the actions and testimony of the church at Sardis are an open book to the omniscient Lord, and nothing is hid from His searching gaze. That which is not visible to man is perfectly apparent to Him, and He defines that which He sees in the closing part of verse 1 in a word of sharp condemnation: “Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.”

The church at Sardis evidently had a reputation among the churches in the area and was considered a spiritual church and one that had an effective ministry and testimony for God. From the divine standpoint, however, it is considered as a church that had only a name of being alive and actually was dead as far as spiritual life and power were concerned. This searching judgment of Christ as it relates to the church of Sardis is one to be pondered by the modern church, which often is full of activity even though there is little that speaks of Christ and spiritual life and power. (John Walvoord)

The church at Sardis had many members who were not truly born again, possibly second or third generation “members” who were only nominal Christians, without the zeal or commitment of their forebears who had founded the church. This is typical of many so-called “main-line” denominational churches today. (Henry Morris)

There is a marked change in our Lord’s method of address to the church at Sardis. Hitherto He has commenced with words of commendation. Here, He commenced with words of condemnation. In the other churches, evil had not been the habit, but rather the exception, and therefore it was possible first to commend. Here the case is reversed, and no word of commendation is addressed to the church as a church. (G. Campbell Morgan)

Wake up and strengthen the things that remain, which you were about to throw away, for I have found no works of yours perfected before my God.  Remember therefore how you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If therefore you won’t watch, I will come as a thief, and you won’t know what hour I will come upon you. (2-3)

Wake up: Our Lord’s counsel to the church began with, “Be watchful! Wake up!” (see Rom. 13:11ff.) The “sentries” were asleep! The first step toward renewal in a dying church is honest awareness that something is wrong. When an organism is alive, there is growth, repair, reproduction, and power; if these elements are lacking in a church, then that church is either dying or already dead. The Lord warned the Ephesian saints that He would come and remove their lampstand if they did not repent (Rev. 2:5). He warned the church at Pergamos that He would come and make war with the sword of the Spirit (Rev. 2:16). If the believers at Sardis did not follow His orders, He would come as a thief, when they least expected Him, and this would mean judgment However, a remnant of dedicated people often exists in even a dying church. The Christians at Sardis had life, even though it was feeble. They were working, even though their works were not all that they could have been. The Lord admonished them to strengthen what remained and not to give up because the church was weak. Where there is life, there is hope! (Wiersbe)

 Nevertheless you have a few names in Sardis that didn’t defile their garments. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.  (4)

 Of course, the garments Jesus gives are always white. Sardis was a church that was dead because of sinful compromise. They needed to receive and walk in the pure, white garment that Jesus gives. White was also the color of triumph to the Romans, so the white garments spoke of the believer’s ultimate triumph in Jesus.

Walk with Me: This is the greatest reward Jesus can give His followers. The Christians in Sardis who forsook the sinful compromise of their city would be rewarded with a closer, more intimate walk with Jesus. This reward is ultimately a better motivator than the fear of punishment or ruin from our sin. (David Guzik)

He who overcomes will be arrayed in white garments, and I will in no way blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. (5)

Christ’s promises are not for the people who care only about their own selfish desires. These promises are not for the people who only want to impress other people. The promises are not for the people who are unwilling to confess their evil deeds to him. They are not for the people who do not want him to change their lives.

His promises are for the Christians who overcome. In other words, by means of his death for them, and their trust in him, they serve him loyally. God has forgiven their evil deeds; that is the meaning of the white clothes.

The book of life appears here and in Revelation 21:27. It is a record of the names of the citizens in the New Jerusalem. The names of all God’s people appear in that record. It is called the book of life because God’s people will live always with him (John 3:16).

Christ also promises that he will declare the names of his loyal people in front of God the Father. He will declare them to be his people. This promise also appears in Matthew 10:32. Hebrews 2:11 says that Christ is not ashamed to call them his brothers. Their relationship with God is real; they are members of Christ’s family (Mark 3:31-35). So, they have the right always to live with him (22:3-5). (Keith Simons)

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. (6)

We must all hear what the Spirit says to the church at Sardis. It is easy to drift in sleepy apathy towards spiritual death, especially when you have a good reputation. Still, there is always hope for the dead church because Jesus knows how to raise the dead.

Sardis teaches us that we must beware of our success. The city was wealthy and knew easy living, but it made them soft and spoiled. Sardis also teaches us that we be watchful at our strongest points. Sardis thought it was unconquerable, and so it was conquered. Where we say “I would never do that” is the exact place we must guard against. (David Guzik)

At the end of the letter to Sardis, Christ again urges everyone to listen and to obey. The situation in the church there was terrible, but Christ still urged the people there to turn back to him. He still cared about them, although he had to warn them very severely. He even had promises for them. However, they could only receive the benefit of those promises if they turned back to him. (Keith Simons)

(Rev 3:7-13) The Church at Philadelphia

“To the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia write:

“He who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says these things: (7)

Philadelphia means “brotherly love,” and was named by King Attalus of Pergamum, its founder, in honor of his brother. Philadelphia still survives as the modern town Alasehir, located about twenty-eight miles southeast of Sardis. (Henry Morris)

Notice what would mark in a special way those who seek to walk as Philadelphians. In the first place the very name of this church- “brotherly love”-implies that its members love as brethren. They are born of God, and His love is shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit given unto them. They are characterized by love to all who are Christ’s. How little this characteristic is seen among many who make very loud assertions to being the testimony of the Lord at the present time. There may be much truth and a great pretension to divine ground and maintaining of scriptural principles, but if this first mark of brotherly love is missing you have not yet found Philadelphia.

In the second place, observe the character in which the Lord presented Himself to this church. “These things saith he that is holy, he that is true” (3:7). These words embody a challenge to separation from evil in life and error in doctrine. If we would walk in fellowship with the holy One we must remember the admonition, “Be ye holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). And if we would enjoy communion with Him who is the Truth, we must refuse Satan’s lies, and love and live the truth ourselves. Hence it follows, as others have stated, that “separation from evil is God’s principle of unity.” Not separation in a cold, pharisaic sense, but separation to Christ from that which is evil.

Next, the Lord spoke of Himself as “he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth; and no man openeth” (3:7). This verse is clearly a reference to Isaiah 22:22. In that Isaiah passage he who had the key of David was the treasurer of David’s house. There it is said of Eliakim, “The key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.” The remainder of the passage shows that Eliakim was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, the one on whom should be hung all the glory of His Father’s house. He, by His Spirit, opens the great treasure-house of divine truth, and none can shut it. On the other hand where there is perversity of spirit and an unwillingness to walk in the truth, He shuts and none can open. So He has said elsewhere, “If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness” (Matthew 6:23).

It is blessed to realize that, while Christ is said to have the key of David, there is another sense in which we see that He is the key. By the presentation of Himself to the souls of His people He opens up the treasures of His Word. Thus Christ is the key to the Holy Scriptures, and no other is needed. To understand the Bible you need only to know Christ. (H. A. Ironside)

“I know your works (behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one can shut), that you have a little power, and kept my word, and didn’t deny my name. (8)

To a church like the church at Philadelphia the Lord says he will open doors of ministry and service, and no one can shut them. The Apostle Paul uses this analogy about himself. On his second missionary journey he tried to go into the province of Asia to preach the gospel but was forbidden by the Holy Spirit; it was a shut door. Then he tried to go into Bithynia, on the southern shore of the Black Sea, but was not allowed of the Lord -- another shut door. But when he came to Troas he had a vision of a man from Macedonia, and he learned that the Lord had opened a door for him into Europe. Paul's commitment to enter that open door has changed the history of the whole Western world, affecting all of civilization since that time. It was an open door of tremendous significance which the Lord had opened for Paul. But in First Corinthians 16, he says of Ephesus, the capital of Asia, "A great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me," (1 Corinthians 16:9 NIV). So the door which had been closed to him once was opened to him later by the Lord. (Ray Stedman)

I must make a correction to the NIV text at this point. The words, "I know that you have little strength," is not what the Greek text says. I am sometimes amazed at these modern translations. There is no word in Greek for I know. What it literally says is, "...because you have a little power and have kept my word and have not denied my name." The church is being given the reasons why the Lord opened a door for them. What the text actually says is, "I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut because you have a little power and have kept my word and not denied my name."

That teaches us something very important. It says that an open door is given when a church fulfills the conditions that will allow it to move through that door once it has been opened. Chief among those conditions is that it have discovered the power of the Spirit. It is spiritual power the Lord is talking about. It is not so much strength as it is power -- power obtained by faith, i.e., by expecting God to act. Individuals in the church sense that God can do something. They look for an opportunity, a need to appear, and when they respond, a door opens for continued service which may grow even wider so others may enter with them. (Ray Stedman)

Behold, I give some of the synagogue of Satan, of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but lie- behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.  Because you kept my command to endure, I also will keep you from the hour of testing which is to come on the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. I am coming quickly! Hold firmly that which you have, so that no one takes your crown. (9-11)

Added to their other commendable qualities, the church at Philadelphia manifested a loyalty to the name of Christ Himself and had made a public confession of their trust in Him. In recognition of this fact He says to them, “Thou hast not denied my name.” As the result of their faithfulness in witness He promises that their adversaries, described in verse 9 as “synagogue of Satan,” will be forced to acknowledge that the Philadelphian church were true servants of God. The reference to the synagogue of Satan and to those who say they are Jews is to unbelieving Jews who were opposing the witness of the gospel in Philadelphia and making it difficult for the Christians to bear a good testimony before the pagan world. (John Walvoord)

Promise of deliverance from hour of trial. One of the outstanding compliments given to the Philadelphian church is contained in verse 10. Because of their faithfulness the Christians in Philadelphia are promised that they will be kept from the hour of trial which will come upon the earth as a divine judgment. It should be noted that this deliverance is not only from trial but from a period of time in which the trial exists, “the hour of temptation.” If the expression had been simply deliverance from trial, conceivably it could have meant only partial deliverance. The expression seems to have been made as strong as possible that the Philadelphian church would be delivered from this period.

Many have observed also that the preposition “from” (Gr., ek) is best understood as “out of rather than simply “from.” Other instances of the use of the same verb and preposition together, such as John 17:15 and James 1:27, would indicate that it is perhaps too much to press it to mean an absolute deliverance. In view of the context of the book of Revelation, however, as it subsequently unfolds the horrors of this very tribulation period, it is evident that the promise here to the church at Philadelphia is one of deliverance from this time of trouble.

This conclusion has, of course, been resisted by all posttribulationists as an unwarranted interpretation of this passage. If this promise has any bearing on the question of pretribulationism, however, what is said emphasizes deliverance from rather than deliverance through. As far as the Philadelphian church was concerned, the rapture of the church was presented to them as an imminent hope. If the rapture had occurred in the first century preceding the tribulation which the book of Revelation describes, they were assured of deliverance. By contrast, those sealed out of the twelve tribes of Israel in 7:4 clearly go through the time of trouble. This implies the rapture of the church before the time of trouble referred to as the great tribulation. Such a promise of deliverance to them would seemingly have been impossible if the rapture of the church were delayed until the end of the tribulation prior to the second coming of Christ and the establishment of the kingdom.

This passage therefore provides some support for the hope that Christ will come for His church before the time of trial and trouble described in Revelation 6 to 19. This time of tribulation will overtake the entire world, as God inflicts His wrath upon unbelieving Gentiles as well as upon Christ-rejecting Jews. The Philadelphian church is therefore promised deliverance from the time of trouble which will overtake the world but will not overtake them. By so much they are encouraged to bear their present suffering and to continue their faithfulness and patience as they bear witness for the Lord Jesus.

The Lord’s coming for them is compared to an imminent event, one which will come suddenly without announcement. In view of this expectation they are to hold fast to their testimony for Christ in order to receive their reward at His coming. The expression “quickly” is to be understood as something which is sudden and unexpected, not necessarily immediate.

In this passage the rapture of the church is in view. The coming of Christ to establish a kingdom on earth is a later event following the predicted time of tribulation which is unfolded in the book of Revelation itself. By contrast, the coming of Christ for His church is portrayed here as elsewhere in the book as an event which is not separated from us by any series of events, but is one of constant expectation in the daily walk of the believer in this age. This promise was historically true as directed to the church at Philadelphia. If the church at Philadelphia foreshadows a future period of church history just as other churches seem to do, the promises given to this church can be taken as given to all churches bearing a true witness for Christ even down to the present day. (John Walvoord)

He would keep them from tribulation (Rev. 3:10). This is surely a reference to the time of tribulation that John described in Revelation 6—19, “the time of Jacob’s trouble.” This is not speaking about some local trial, because it involves “them that dwell on the earth” (see Rev. 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 12:12; 13:8, 12, 14; 14:6; 17:2, 8). The immediate reference would be to the official Roman persecutions that would come, but the ultimate reference is to the tribulation that will encompass the earth before Jesus Christ returns to establish His kingdom. In many Bible scholars’ understanding, Revelation 3:10 is a promise that the church will not go through the tribulation, but will be taken to heaven before it begins (see 1 Thess. 4:13—5:11). The admonition, “Behold, I come quickly,” would strengthen this view. (Wiersbe)

He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will go out from there no more. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and my own new name. (12)

The Christians in Philadelphia would not have seen the temple (great house) of the real God, in Jerusalem. However, they would often see the temples of false gods.

These temples had many impressive stone columns. Rich people would pay for those columns, because they wanted to put their own names permanently in the houses of their gods. They wanted their gods always to remember them and, therefore, to show kindness to them.

Those false gods, of course, had no power to help the people who prayed to them (Isaiah 44:9-20). However, the real God does remember his people, and he acts constantly with kindness towards them. He gives them a permanent place in his home (John 14:2).

As Revelation 21:22 explains, the temple here is actually a word-picture. There will be no temple in the New Jerusalem, where God will always live with his people (21:3). The meaning is that God will actually be present with his people.

When people build a great column, they often put their own names on it. Here there are a series of names. There is God’s name, because God’s people belong to him. There is the name of God’s city, the New Jerusalem, because God’s people will always live there. Then there is Christ’s new name; that may refer to his new name in Revelation 19:16 - King of kings and Lord (ruler) of lords.

(Keith Simons)

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. (13)

We all want to hear the praise and encouragement Jesus gave to the church at Philadelphia. If we will be like this church, we must stay on their foundation, which was Jesus’ name and Jesus’ word. We must also depend on their source of strength which was Jesus, not themselves. (David Guzik)

(Rev 3:14-22) The Church at Laodicea

 “To the angel of the assembly in Laodicea write:

“The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of God’s creation, says these things: (14)

Laodicea was an important, wealthy city, with a significant Jewish population. Like other cities in the region, it was a center for Caesar worship and the worship of the healing god Asklepios. There was a famous temple of Asklepios in Laodicea, with a more famous medical school connected with the temple. (David Guzik)

After an earthquake devastated the region in a.d. 60 Laodicea refused Imperial help to rebuild the city, successfully relying on their own resources. They didn’t need outside help, they didn’t ask for it, and they didn’t want it. “Laodicea was too rich to accept help from anyone. Tacitus, the Roman historian, tells us: ‘Laodicea arose from the ruins by the strength of her own resources, and with no help from us.’ ” (Barclay)

Faithful and True Witness: This is Jesus, and this was a contrast to the Laodiceans, who will be shown to be neither faithful nor true. (David Guzik)

The beginning of God's creation:  The idea behind the word for beginning [the ancient Greek word arche] is that of a “ruler, source, or origin,” not of first in a sequential order. This verse does not teach that Jesus was the first being created, but that He is the ruler, source, and origin of all creation. It has the idea of first in prominence more than first in sequence. (David Guzik)

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot.  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth. (15-16)

Lukewarm:

The reason for the lukewarm conditions: "Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need nothing" (Revelation 3:17). Their trust in materialism has brought them to a lukewarm state. "You cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24). Mixing the two will lead you into becoming lukewarm.  (Chuck Smith)

There were two problems in this church: First, there was something wrong with their commitment. They were neither cold nor hot. They were suffering from what someone has well called "the leukemia of non-commitment." And, also, there was something wrong with their self-image, as we will see in Verse 17. They thought they were rich, but they were really poor. The church at Sardis was a cold church, a dead church. It was as cold as death. The church at Philadelphia was hot, alive, and vital. But here in Laodicea was a church that was neither hot nor cold. It is merely lukewarm. Archaeologists have discovered an interesting fact about this city. It had no local water supply, but obtained their water through an aqueduct from the hot springs at Hierapolis, some six miles away. If you were staying in a motel in Laodicea and turned on the tap to get a cold drink, and tasted the water, you would probably spit it out again because it was tepid, lukewarm. Traveling that distance, the hot water had partly cooled down, and it would be nauseating, repulsive. The word our Lord actually uses here is not "spit out," but "vomit." He will vomit out the church because it was nauseating to him. What created this condition? There is only one answer. It is compromise! When you want to make something lukewarm you mix together hot and cold. We do this continually with regard to air temperature. (Ray Stedman)

Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing,’ and don’t know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; (17)

have need of nothing: There are multitudes of large and affluent churches today that are evangelical and nominally Biblical. They have become so comfortable with evolutionism and modern life styles that they are spiritually impoverished, filled with half-converted babes in Christ who are easy prey for the world, the flesh and the devil. The Lord is calling them to repentance (Revelation 3:19), for they are still His churches, and therefore He must rebuke and chasten them sooner or later. (Henry Morris)

you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked

The church at Smyrna thought itself poor, when it was really rich (Rev. 2:9); the Laodiceans boasted that they were rich, when in fact they were poor. Perhaps we have here a hint of why this church declined spiritually: they had become proud of their ministry and had begun to measure things by human standards instead of by spiritual values. They were, in the eyes of the Lord, “wretched, and miserable, and poor.” Laodicea was a wealthy city and a banking center. Perhaps some of the spirit of the marketplace crept into the church so that their values became twisted. Why is it that so many church bulletins and letterheads show pictures of buildings? Are these the things that are most important to us? The board at the Laodicean church could proudly show you the latest annual report with its impressive statistics, yet Jesus said He was about to vomit them out of His mouth! (Wiersbe)

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.  As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me. (18-20)

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire:

The solution? Pay the price to get true “gold tried in the fire.” This suggests that the church needed some persecution; they were too comfortable (1 Peter 1:7). Nothing makes God’s people examine their priorities faster than suffering! (Wiersbe)

and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see:

The Laodiceans were “blind.” They could not see reality. They were living in a fool’s paradise, proud of a church that was about to be rejected. The apostle Peter teaches that when a believer is not growing in the Lord, his spiritual vision is affected (2 Peter 1:5–9). “Diet” has bearing on the condition of one’s eyes, in a spiritual sense as well as a physical one. These people could not see themselves as they really were. Nor could they see their Lord as He stood outside the door of the church. Nor could they see the open doors of opportunity. They were so wrapped up in building their own kingdom that they had become lukewarm in their concern for a lost world. (Wiersbe)

As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me:

Christ has spoken to Laodicea’s Christians as if they are not proper Christians. In verse 17, he described them as if they did not yet know him. In verse 18, he urged them to accept his kindness, like people who had never trusted him to save them.

There may have been some people at that church who were not really Christians yet. That is probably true in most churches; it is always important for church leaders to explain clearly to those people what Christ offers to them. However, many of the church members at Laodicea were genuine Christians, although their trust in Christ had become weak.

So, Christ explains why he spoke in such a strong manner to them. It is because he loves them very much. A father must sometimes deal strictly with his children; he does it because of his love for them (Hebrews 12:5-11).

Laodicea’s rich Christians had allowed their wealth to have a place that was too important in their lives. They seemed to trust their money even more than they trusted Christ. Their relationship with God was becoming weak. They needed very much to return to Christ. They needed to learn to trust him again. (Keith Simons)

I stand at the door:  Compare Matthew 24:33; Revelation 19:9. When we see the signs of His imminent coming all around us, including many neutralist Laodicean-type churches, we know that He is at the door, about to come in, as it were, soon to sit down with all His saints at the great marriage supper of the Lamb. (Henry Morris)

come in to him: Although it is often used as such, this verse is not a gospel verse, appealing to the unsaved to accept Christ. There is nothing in it about Christ’s sacrificial death for sinners or about believing on Him for salvation, or any other gospel essentials. It is addressed directly to the neutralist, self-satisfied Laodicean church, calling them to repentance. In context, the Lord is calling worldly, compromising believers to allow Him back into their lives. (Henry Morris)

He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. (21)

He who overcomes: The conqueror’s path of victory and reward lies open to every believer. Bear in mind that Jesus has never asked one of His children to travel a path He did not travel before us. The footprints of Jesus are our guide. If we walk in the footsteps of Jesus, if we suffer with Him, we will reign with Him. The reward of the overcomer will be glorious; but it is not cheaply earned. Salvation is free - but discipleship and victory are earned at a tremendous price, and many times at the cost of suffering beyond the description of human words. (Oliver Greene)

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.” (22)

Few want to identify themselves with the church of Laodicea. We would much rather identify ourselves with the church at Philadelphia.

We must hear what the Holy Spirit says here, because He speaks to the churches – including us. May God deliver us from the self-reliant, compromising lukewarmness that marked the church of the Laodiceans! (David Guzik)