Revelation 3 Study Notes

3:1 On the angel of the church, see note at 1:20. Sardis, thirty miles southeast of Thyatira, was one of the most ancient cities in Asia Minor, founded around 1200 BC. In AD 17 an earthquake destroyed Sardis (and Philadelphia, see note at v. 7), but it was later rebuilt with the help of Emperor Tiberius. The people of Sardis were fascinated with death and immortality, observing the fertility cycles of nature and the worship of Artemis, the fertility goddess. On the seven spirits of God, see note at 1:4. On the seven stars, see note at 1:16. There is no praise for the church in Sardis, and the Lord’s criticism is haunting. Spiritually they were as good as dead.

3:2 This letter is intended by the Lord as an urgent spiritual wake-up call. If the church at Sardis did not strengthen what remained spiritually, they would die, because they had not followed through on the works that honored God.

3:3 If the church at Sardis did not remember God’s blessings and repent of their failures, Christ would come like a thief in swift and severe judgment. Twice in the city’s history, it had been captured because it failed to watch out for its enemies.

3:4-5 A remnant of a few people in Sardis had remained faithful to the Lord. To be dressed in white was to wear the garments of the one who conquers (see note at 2:7) whose lifestyle was worthy both of heaven (7:9) and of returning with Christ at his second coming (19:14). The book of life contains the name of each person who is eternally elect (13:8; 20:15). These will prove themselves victors, and Christ will never erase their names from the book of life.

3:6 On let anyone who has ears to hear listen, see note at 2:7.

3:7 On the angel of the church, see note at 1:20. Philadelphia, forty miles southeast of Sardis, suffered long-term effects from the earthquake of AD 17. So, the people planned for the future with earthquakes in mind. Although there is little extrabiblical evidence for a Jewish community in the city, the letter indicates a situation similar to that of Smyrna. Nothing is known of the origin of the church, but there was a connection with Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, like the other six local churches. The phrases the key of David and no one opens echo Is 22:22 and speak of Christ’s authority in the household of God.

3:8 Christ commended the faithful works of this small congregation, in spite of their little power. The open door that no one can close opens to heaven and God’s kingdom (Col 4:3-4).

3:9 On synagogue of Satan and who claim to be Jews and are not, see note at 2:9-10. These phrases are in reverse order from 2:9, implying there is a key point of comparison in the two letters. It is likely that the brief and local “affliction” faced by the church at Smyrna (2:10) contrasts with the promise to the church at Philadelphia that it would be kept from the worldwide “hour of testing” (3:10).

3:10 The hour of testing refers to “the great tribulation” (7:14). Though the wording may sound like a reference to all who will inhabit the world at that time, those who live on the earth (“earth dwellers” from this point on in the notes) is a phrase used repeatedly in Revelation (6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8), speaking of the non-elect, “whose names have not been written in the book of life” (17:8). To “keep . . . from the hour of testing” has been taken to mean: (1) removed before the time of tribulation, or (2) supernaturally protected within the tribulation. Since the word hour suggests a period of time, and the purpose of the hour of testing is to test the non-elect “earth dwellers” rather than believers, it seems more likely that believers will be removed before the hour of great tribulation begins.

3:11 On coming soon, see note at 1:1,3. To hold on to what you have appears to refer to the faithfulness of the church, described in v. 8.

3:12 The one who conquers (see note at 2:7) is promised a permanent place in the temple in God’s eternal city, the new Jerusalem. This “temple” is actually the Lord himself and the Lamb (21:2,22). Christ’s new name may refer to “a name . . . that no one knows except himself” (19:12).

3:13 On let anyone who has ears to hear listen, see note at 2:7.

3:14 On the angel of the church, see note at 1:20. Laodicea, forty-five miles southeast of Philadelphia and ninety miles east of Ephesus, was an important trade center. Like Philadelphia, it lay in a region prone to earthquakes. The city had to bring in its water supply through an aqueduct. This made it vulnerable to drought and disruption by enemies. The Laodicean church was probably planted by Epaphras (Col 1:7), along with the churches of Hierapolis and Colossae, during Paul’s three-year ministry at Ephesus (Ac 19:8-10; 20:31). Amen is a transliteration of the Hebrew word for “truth.” Being the originator of God’s creation means Jesus was the person of the Trinity who was the agent of creation (Jn 1:3; Col 1:16).

3:15-16 Because the water in Laodicea was piped in, it was neither cold and refreshing nor hot and therapeutic. The lukewarm water was thus not useful. The spiritual worthlessness of the church in Laodicea was nauseating to Christ (I am going to vomit you out of my mouth).

3:17-19 Because many believers in the Laodicean church were rich and arrogant, they were completely blind to the fact that they were spiritually wretched and naked. The only way Christ would give them spiritual sight and make them spiritually rich and properly dressed was for them to repent (see note at 2:5) and be zealous to him, no longer going through the motions spiritually (i.e., being lukewarm). As many as I love, I . . . discipline echoes Pr 3:11-12, which is cited in Heb 12:6.

3:20 The Lord had been pushed to the outside of the church at Laodicea, and he was now seeking to reenter through their repentance (opens the door).

3:21 On the one who conquers, see note at 2:7. The right to sit with Christ on his throne goes beyond his promise to the apostles in Mt 19:28 and looks to his reign on earth in Rv 20:4-6. The phrase sat down with my Father on his throne looks ahead to the heavenly throne room in chaps. 4-5.

3:22 On let anyone who has ears to hear listen, see note at 2:7.