Author: Charlie Garrett

Saturday, 3 October 2020

Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. Revelation 3:3

The Lord just said, “for I have not found your works perfect before God.” Now, He tells them of the proper path to correct this, beginning with, “Remember therefore.”

Those at Sardis were to call to mind the past, and then to consider it in light of their current situation. This is especially important because humans are prone to forgetting many things. Israel forgot their fear of the Lord when they received the Ten Commandments in a terrifying display of sound and sensational effects. No sooner had Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the rest of the law than the people fashioned a false god. Along with this they had a big party to celebrate it. Peter, in 2 Peter 1, gives a list of things to do in order to not forget their own salvation. In verse 9 there, he says –

“For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.” 2 Peter 1:9

One can get so far from remembering the Lord, that he can forget he is actually saved. But… the Lord does not forget. This is seen in the next words from Christ to the church at Sardis. He says, “how you have received and heard.”

The two verbs are in different tenses. The verb translated as “have received” is in the perfect tense, indicative mood. It is an accomplished fact, and it is certain. The word translated as “heard” is an aorist verb, again in the indicative mood. It signifies the act of hearing at the time it occurred, but they did – in fact – hear. As this is the case, Jesus next admonishes them to “hold fast and repent.”

It sounds like Peter’s words of 2 Peter 1. They are to hold fast so that they will not forget. As a church, they had not followed the advice of the apostles to increase in their knowledge and so forth, and they had almost forgotten who they were as a church. In this, they are instructed to change their mind (repent) of their direction, turn from it, and head in the right direction. If they do not, Jesus says he will take direct action. This is seen in the words, “Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief.”

This goes back to the words of the previous verse, “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain.” He instructed them to do so, and now, in repeating that thought, he adds in His solemn warning. The words, “as a thief in the night,” are given as a direct and unambiguous note that their time is short to return to a right path. There will not be another admonishment, but rather there will be judgment.

The term “thief in the night” is seen elsewhere, such as in 1 Thessalonians 5. It means at a completely unexpected time, and in a completely unexpected manner. When the thief comes at night, it could be at 9pm or 3am. And he could come in through the roof, or he could burrow in from underground. With darkness, these things are unknown.

It must be noted the Jesus is addressing the church as a whole. This does not mean that He is coming as a thief to steal away their individual salvation, nor could that be inferred. In fact, the very opposite of that is seen in the very next verse. He is speaking of judgment upon the church for their failure to properly handle its affairs.

With this understood, the Lord finishes the verse with, “and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.” The Lord exactingly explains what “as a thief in the night” means with these words. His judgment will not be preceded by any warning. He has given almost all of His word through His apostles. He is now giving His final words through the hand of John. When Revelation is complete, the word of God is complete. The age of such inspired prophecy will have come to an end.

Understanding this, the letters to the seven churches are our guidance. There is a time coming when the church will be taken out at the rapture. When that occurs, the focus will be on the completion of the covenant promises to Israel. This will include all of the curses upon the world that are spoken of after these seven letters. When Christ comes for His church, it will be as that thief in the night. After that, it will be too late for taking the remedial action He now speaks of –

“But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. ² For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. ³ For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. ⁴ But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. ⁵ You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. ⁶ Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. ⁸ But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹ For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10

Life application: Jesus asks those in Sardis to “remember.” The subject of remembering and forgetting, and the call to remember is mentioned many, many times in the Bible. In the 78^th Psalm, we read this –

They did not remember His power:
The day when He redeemed them from the enemy, Psalm 78:42

Like Israel, who was redeemed from Egypt, the church in Sardis was redeemed from sin. But they both forgot that time and strayed from God. We likewise do the same and Jesus, through His seven letters, calls each of us to “remember.” We are to remember “how” we received and heard not just “what” we received and heard.

When our individual churches were established, it was with great joy, anticipation of glorifying the Lord, and being steadfast in our pursuit of Him. Our hearts were directed to the things of God, and we had a passion for His name. Jesus asks us to revisit that moment, hold fast to it, and repent (or turn back to it). If we fail to do so, He “will come upon” us as a thief. It will be sudden, and it will be final.

Those who aren’t ready at the rapture will be left behind to suffer through the tribulation period when the world will be plunged into complete disarray. Those who aren’t ready at their death will be separated from God eternally. And those who aren’t ready at the apostasy of a church won’t even know that they are being led down a road of error which will end in destruction. We need to be ever on guard and continuously “remember” our Lord and His mighty deeds which were done on our behalf.

Lord God, as the psalmist said so long ago, “I remember Your name in the night, O Lord, And I keep Your law.” Help us to continuously ponder the great things You have done for us and to never forget Your love, grace, and mercy – all poured out on us at the cross. Thank You for Your patience and caring direction in our lives. Amen.

Friday, 2 October 2020

Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Revelation 3:2

The Lord just addressed the insufficiency of the church at Sardis. They have a name as if they are alive, but they are dead. Because of this, He says, “Be watchful.” The Greek is a present participle. It should say, “Be waking.” Having been called “dead,” He is telling them that they are as if in a deadened slumber. But they were rather to stay awake and attentive. A good word to signify the intent is to remain vigilant. They are to be constantly on guard. Further, He says, “and strengthen the things which remain.”

Not only were they to guard against those things that can come in and infect a church, but they were to bolster those things within the church that were of right quality and worthy of commendation. In the case of Sardis, it is a veiled note of commendation, without over-complementing them. They had things that were still of value, but they needed to shore them up for the long-term health of the church.

In this, the Lord doesn’t tell them what is to be strengthened, but in a couple of verses, He will provide a note that there are still people of proper faith and conduct in the church. In order to strengthen the things that remained, it would be good to consult those people and find out what they are doing right.

Of those few things that remain, the Lord next says, “that are ready to die.” There is little left even in the good things they are doing. The embers of the fires are almost extinguished, but with a little breath brought upon them, they will begin to glow. In this, more of what is right and proper can be added, and the fire that had once been strong and active can, once again, be brought back to life. But for now, they were all but dead. As Jesus says, “for I have not found your works perfect before God.”

The word translated as “perfect,” here, signifies being fulfilled or completed. Their works failed to meet the appropriate end for which they were intended. God is the standard of all things. His perfection demands our perfection. His completion of things demonstrates our need to bring things to completion. Whatever was not being accomplished at Sardis needed to be brought to a satisfactory end.

If they were telling people about Jesus, they needed to then introduce the gospel – conveying the fact that their audience needed to believe in Jesus. If they were telling people that God is holy, they needed to then explain to the people that they too needed to be holy. Whatever the church at Sardis was doing, they failed to close up the loose theological ends. They produced no sufficiency of theology, and no soundness of faith.

Life application: All hope is not lost for those at Sardis, but they had really let things slip. Jesus warns them to:

Be watchful – they were relying on past deeds and not looking for new opportunities to move the church forward in a Christ-honoring way. They were also obviously not looking out for trouble that could infiltrate their worship, their doctrine, and their congregation. As the psalmist said so long ago –

“I rise before the dawning of the morning,
And cry for help;
I hope in Your word.
My eyes are awake through the night watches,
That I may meditate on Your word.” Psalm 119:147, 148

The psalmist would rise early, petition God for help in his walk, put his trust in God’s word, and stay alert even in the night, always watchful for the enemy’s troubling attacks.

Strengthen the things that remain – there isn’t much good left, but they can at least shore up the walls of the few things they were getting right. Churches that have let things slip will normally still be strong in one area or another simply because they feel their works will justify them. They won’t of course, but these works aren’t wrong in and of themselves. They just need to be redirected to the honoring of Jesus instead of some supposed self-justification.

In his closing, Jesus notes that He hasn’t found their works perfect before God. This in no way indicates Jesus is less than God. As a member of the Godhead, He is subordinating Himself to it in this phrase. He is the second member of the Trinity and therefore He has a right to evaluate and make judgments on the works of His church and its members.

Lord Jesus, thank You for watching over our congregations and correcting us when necessary. On our own we tend to stray and get misdirected. So please keep us on the right and proper path which will honor You and keep us from personal boasting. To Your glory! Amen.

Thursday, 1 October 2020

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,
‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Revelation 3:1

Chapter 3 begins with the address to the fifth church singled out by Jesus. He begins with, “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write.” As before, the “angel” is probably a designation for the leader of the church, not an angelic being. The church is in “Sardis.” In Greek, Sardis is a plural noun and is translated by the NET Bible as “Red Ones.” The etymology of the name is uncertain.

Of Sardis, Charles Ellicott (1819-1905) writes –

“The modern Sart—now a mere village of paltry huts—once the capital of the old Lydian monarchy, and associated with the names of Crœsus, Cyrus, and Alexander. It was the great entrepôt of dyed woollen fabrics, the sheep of “many-flocked” Phrygia supplying the raw material. The art of dyeing is said to have been invented here; and many-coloured carpets or mats found in the houses of the wealthy were manufactured here. The metal known as electrum, a kind of bronze, was the produce of Sardis; and in early times gold-dust was found in the sand of the Pactolus, the little stream which passed through the Agora of Sardis, and washed the walls of the Temple of Cybele. It is said that gold and silver coins were first, minted at Sardis, and that resident merchants first became a class there. An earthquake laid it waste in the reign of Tiberius; a pestilence followed, but the city seems to have recovered its prosperity before the date of this epistle. The worship of Cybele was the prevailing one; its rites, like those of Dionysos and Aphrodite, encouraged impurity.”

To the church in this location, Jesus’ opening words are, “These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God.” Here the symbology is different than presented in Revelation 1. Of the seven Spirits, it said, “and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne” (1:4). The Greek word translated as “has” signifies to have, hold, or possess. Christ is the One to whom these seven Spirits of God are ascribed. They are before the throne, but they are possessed by Christ. That was explained in the words of Isaiah 11 cited in the 1:4 commentary –

“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
² The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:1, 2

Upon the Son rests the “sevenfold Spirit” – The Spirit of the (1) Lord, meaning Yehovah; the Spirit of (2) wisdom and (3) understanding; the Spirit of (4) counsel and (5) might; the Spirit of (6) knowledge and of (7) the fear of the Lord. Thus, He “has” or “possesses” these seven Spirits of God.

Further, Christ Jesus says to the church in Sardis, “and the seven stars.” In verse 1:16, it noted that the seven stars were in His right hand. Those seven stars were explicitly explained in verse 1:20 as being “the angels of the seven churches.” Being in His right hand, it then means that He has total control and authority over them. With this understood, He then says, “I know your works.”

It is the same phrase repeated to each of the churches so far. He is letting each church know that He is fully aware of every deed they do. Nothing escapes His sight. With this said, He then explains what their most prominent works are with the words, “that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.”

Because of these words, it becomes clear why He chose to say to this church that He has the seven Spirits of God. He has the Spirit of Yehovah and thus possesses all authority. He has the Spirit of wisdom and will rightly apply that authority toward this dead church. He has the Spirit of understanding concerning their situation, their needs, their destiny, and so on. He has the Spirit of counsel to redirect them, if they will but listen. He has the Spirit of might to execute punishment upon them. He has the Spirit of knowledge that knows the end from the beginning and can lead the church in the correct path, if they will but follow. And, He has the Spirit of the fear of the Lord – something they currently lack (as will be seen), and which is necessary for them to also possess in order to avoid the promised judgment upon them.

The church at Sardis possessed all kinds of works. People saw the things they did and certainly passed on to others how industrious they were – “you have a name that you are alive.” However, all the works in the world, without faith to accompany them, are useless. James speaks about faith without works being dead, but the truth is that any work not done in faith is of no value to the Lord.

Life application: As noted, the name Sardis means “Red Ones.” It is fitting of a church full of dead people. Isaiah saw the need for cleansing from a dead-red condition almost eight hundred years earlier – “‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the LORD, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool’” (Isaiah 1:18).

It isn’t our “works” that will cleanse us. In fact, the things we do often separate us further from God. This is because we are trusting in ourselves to earn eternal life and are thus setting ourselves up as idols. It is amazing how the very things we think will earn God’s favor only cause the division to widen. Jesus has done all that is necessary for us to be saved, and it is faith in Him alone that can justify us.

The health of the church is evaluated, and then Jesus exercises His authority. In the case of Sardis, the checking had been done and the church was found deficient. They, as a group, receive no commendation – only rebuke. Coming up in a few verses is a great word of comfort for some individuals though.

Lord, please look on our churches, and give us the desire to revitalize them in the areas where they are found spiritually dead. Help us to do works that are honoring of and for You. And Lord, help us to never trust in our deeds in order to obtain Your favor. Rather, let us do them only to bring You glory. Amen.

Wednesday, 30 September 2020

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 2:29

The thought is the same as that of verses 2:7, 2:11, and 2:17. However, there is now a difference, not in substance, but in location within the letter. In the first three letters, Jesus makes this statement, and then He speaks out the words concerning those who overcome. Here, and through the next three letters, the statement follows the words concerning those who overcome, closing out each letter.

As in all the letters, it is a call out to pay heed to what has been stated, and what will be stated to each and every church.

Life application: It seems all too fast that we have already come to the end of chapter 2 of Revelation, concluding with the completion of the fourth letter to the seven churches. Each letter has received the same warning and admonition as we have in this verse. Jesus says, “He who has an ear…” Let us open our ears and listen to what is being read, let us open our hearts and take heed to the message we have been given. Let us open our eyes that they may be fixed on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. The Lord said this to Isaiah concerning the people of Israel –

“Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’”
¹⁰ “Make the heart of this people dull,
And their ears heavy,
And shut their eyes;
Lest they see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And return and be healed.” Isaiah 6:9, 10

Isaiah, not understanding, then responded –

“Lord, how long?” (Isaiah 6:11)

And the response from the Lord was –

“Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant,
The houses are without a man,
The land is utterly desolate,
¹² The Lord has removed men far away,
And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.” Isaiah 6:11, 12

We need to be attentive lest we drive ourselves out of our own favorable situation. Failure to respond to the Spirit’s words can only result in sadness in an ineffective relationship with God.

Again, as before, this verse says “…what the Spirit says to the churches.” Each letter is an individual one for a particular congregation, but it is directed to all churches at all times. The warnings, the promises, and the doctrine are meant for all. Take heed and be blessed!

Lord, You have given us a true and faithful record of Your love for us, Your expectations of us, and how we can share in Your divine blessings. Thank You, O God, for all You have done, are doing, and will do for Your redeemed people. May we return our praises to You. Amen.

Tuesday, 29 September 2020

and I will give him the morning star.” Revelation 2:28

This verse ends the list of honors mentioned in the letter to Thyatira that will be granted to the one who overcomes. As clear as the words are, they are debated as to the actual meaning of what the Lord is saying. At the close of the Bible, we read these words in Revelation 22:16 –

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

Further, in 2 Peter, this is stated –

“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;” 2 Peter 1:19

Peter’s words are certainly speaking of Christ. Just three verses earlier, he said, “we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” The prophetic word, then, speaks of and anticipates the glories of Christ. It is what we now have to illuminate to us His majesty. Peter also refers to the dawning of the day. That is probably a reference to the words of Malachi –

“But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;
And you shall go out
And grow fat like stall-fed calves.” Malachi 4:2

Jesus is both the Sun of Righteousness and the Bright and Morning Star. The major debate is whether Jesus is saying, “I will give of myself,” because He is the “Morning Star,” or is it saying something like, “I will make the dawn of salvation or of life eternal shine on him after his dark afflictions” (Expositors Greek Testament).

The main consideration is that of the idea of the dawning of the day. Malachi says, “The Sun of Righteousness shall arise.” Peter says, “until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” Jesus says, “the morning star.” All three speak of the time of transition from darkness to light. As the term in Revelation 22:16 is more exacting, a conclusion can be made based on that difference –

ton astera ton prōinon – the star the morning (2:28)
ho aster ho lampros ho prōinos – the star the bright the morning (22:16)

What then may be conveyed here is that any star (or planet) that remains in the sky as the sun rises would be like jewel in a crown. Albert Barnes agrees with this saying –

“The idea seems to be, that the Saviour would give him something that would resemble that morning planet in beauty and splendor – perhaps meaning that it would be placed as a gem in his diadem, and would sparkle on his brow – bearing some such relation to him who is called ‘the Sun of Righteousness,’ as the morning star does to the glorious sun on his rising. If so, the meaning would be that he would receive a beautiful ornament, bearing a near relation to the Redeemer himself as a bright sun – a pledge that the darkness was past – but one whose beams would melt away into the superior light of the Redeemer himself, as the beams of the morning star are lost in the superior glory of the sun.”

Life application: Whether Christ is saying He will give of Himself (which is already a true statement), or whether we will be together with Him as stars in glory (see Daniel 12:3), we will share in His goodness for all eternity. He will lead us to the still waters and the soft grass of the Garden lost so long ago. Although the Bible in general and Revelation in particular are full of judgment and woe, this judgment is on sin and those who act contrary to God’s will. God gives us the choice and when we exercise it contrary to His ordinances, it is always at our own loss.

God is gracious and abundant in mercy, and He wants to lavish His goodness upon each of us. Because He created us, He knows what is best and what we should avoid. The prospect of sharing in/with the Person of Jesus for all eternity is the most wonderful prospect of all. He is the Bright Morning Star and the One who illuminates the splendor of God to us.

Like Peter’s words (above), all of the prophetic word is meant to direct us and guide us to Jesus. It is a light shining in the dark world in which we live, and it is there to tell us of God’s great love for us and His great Gift to us – Jesus. Don’t miss the bigger picture of what God is doing by getting bogged down in judgment and destruction. These things are necessary in order for us to finally be at peace with our Creator.

O Lord God! Thank You so much for the promise that we have of forever dwelling in Your marvelous light. Thank You for Jesus our Lord who is the Bright and Morning Star. May we walk by His light and stay on the proper path until that great day when we are called to our true home. Thank You for your grace, your love, and your mercy! Amen.