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Letter to Sardis Letter to Laodicea |
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Letter to Sardis by Dr. David Antion About 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of Smyrna; it occupied a rocky spur of Mount Tmolus and a valley at the foot of this mountain. In ancient times Sardis was well fortified and easily defended. It became the capital of the ancient Lydian empire, then passed successively to the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans during their respective dominance of the ancient world. In Rev 3:1-6 the church in Sardis is condemned more completely than any other church except Laodicea (vv. 14-19), and only these two of the seven cities containing one of these seven churches were noted as still-uninhabited ruins. One man called Sardis "the city that died" and ascribed its destruction to the crumbling of the rock ridge on which a part of the city was built (though most of it, as revealed by excavation, was down in the plain). Despite the negative warnings, v. 4 admits that a few of its inhabitants are notably good and will shine in resplendent white robes at the judgment. The dead church, was like "whitewashed tombs which...appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones" (Matt 23:27). The site of Sardis is across the highway and railway line from the modern village of Sart, W of the larger Salihli between Manisa and Philadelphia (Alalehir). Ruins of the ancient city spread from the acropolis, on a jagged crag of Mt. Tmolus/Boz, down its western slope to the Pactolus River, which further N flows into the Hermus/ Gediz. Across the road and E of the acropolis are other ruins, including the synagogue. Revelation 3:1 "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ' I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. CJB Revelation 3:1 "To the angel of the Messianic Community in Sardis, write: 'Here is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: "I know what you are doing- you have a reputation for being alive, but in fact you are dead! NET Revelation 3:1 "To the angel of the church in Sardis write the following: "This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: 'I know your deeds, that you have a reputation that you are alive, but in reality you are dead. Rev 5:6 And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. Rev 4:5 Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; Zech 3:9 'For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,' declares the Lord of hosts, 'and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. Zech 4:10 "For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel — these are the eyes of the Lord which range to and fro throughout the earth." A NAME THAT YOU LIVE BUT YOU ARE DEAD: 1 Tim 5:6 But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives. 2 Tim 3:4 lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. Eph 2:1-2 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Eph 5:12-14 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 14 For this reason it says, " Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you." Laodicea deceived herself: Rev 3:17 'Because you say, " I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, CJB Revelation 3:2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains, before it dies too! For I have found what you are doing incomplete in the sight of my God NAU Revelation 3:3 'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. strengthen what (those) remains 2. to cause to be inwardly firm or committed, confirm, establish, strengthen NAU 1 Peter 5:10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. NAU James 5:8 You too be patient; strengthen (establish, firm up) your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. There have always been some – there were in Noah's time, Elijah's time, Isaiah's "a remnant will return." CJB Luke 12:32 Have no fear, little flock, for your Father has resolved to give you the Kingdom! NAU Luke 18:8 "I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" NAU Luke 12:35 "Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. 36 "Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. 37 "Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. 38 "Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. NET Luke 12:35 "Get dressed for service and keep your lamps burning; 36 be like people waiting for their master to come back from the wedding celebration, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom their master finds alert when he returns! I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, have them take their place at the table, and will come and wait on them! 38 Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night and finds them alert, blessed are those slaves! WHAT HAVE YOU Received: REMEMBER IT Col 2:6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 1 Thess 4:1 Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. 1 Tim 6:20-21 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called "knowledge" — 21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Revelation 3:3-6 3 'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 4 'But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. Soiled = stained, defiled NAU 1 Corinthians 8:7 However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. ESV Revelation 14:4 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 14:6-9 And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; 7 and he said with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters." 8 And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality." 9 Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, Revelation 2:14 'But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality (fornication = metaphor for idolatry). "For they are worthy" Rev 4:11 "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created." Rev 5:2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?" (NAU) Rev 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for (because) You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. (NAU) John the Baptist: I am not worthy to loosen his sandals Revelation 3: 5 5 'He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. Phil. 4:3 Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. NAU Revelation 13:8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. NAU Revelation 17:8 "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come. NAU Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. NAU Revelation 20:15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. NAU Revelation 21:27 and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. Psa 69:27-30 Add iniquity to their iniquity, And may they not come into Your righteousness. 28 May they be blotted out of the book of life And may they not be recorded with the righteous. 29 But I am afflicted and in pain; May Your salvation, O God, set me securely on high. 30 I will praise the name of God with song And magnify Him with thanksgiving. (NAU) NAU Mark 8:38 "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." Rev. 3:6 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'
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