Revelation 3 continues the message to the Seven Churches. IN THIS CHAPTER GOD SPEAKS TO SARDIS, PHILADELPHIA AND LAODICEA.

Use this link to go back to the summary.

SARDIS

Dead, snatching defeat from victory. MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE SARDIS CHURCH IS THAT THEY FORGOT HOW THEY CAME TO HOLD THE TRUTH. THIS IS BASED ON THE FACT THAT GOD TOLD THEM TO REMEMBER IT (REVELATION 3:3). THE TRUTH CAME BY HEARING (ROMANS 10:17). IT REQUIRED LISTENING WITH AN OPEN MIND BECAUSE YOU CANNOT PUT NEW WINE INTO AN OLD WINESKIN (MATTHEW 9:17). IT REQUIRED CHECKING THE BIBLE LIKE THE BEREANS (ACTS 17:11) TO HOLD FAST WHAT IS GOOD (1 THESSALONIANS 5:21).

All of the seven cities mentioned were in a part of ancient Anatolia called Lydia. By A.D. 19 the Lydians had forgotten their own Lydian language and were all but Greeks.

Lydian (𐤮𐤱𐤠𐤭𐤣𐤶𐤯𐤦𐤳 Sfardẽtiš[citation needed] "[language] of Sardis") is an extinct Indo-European Anatolian language spoken in the region of Lydia, in western Anatolia (now in Turkey). The language is attested in graffiti and in coin legends from the late 8th century or the early 7th century to the 3rd century BCE, but well-preserved inscriptions of significant length are so far limited to the 5th century and the 4th century BCE, during the period of Persian domination. Thus, Lydian texts are effectively contemporaneous with those in Lycian.Strabo mentions that around his time (1st century BCE), the Lydian language was no longer spoken in Lydia proper but was still being spoken among the multicultural population of Kibyra (now Gölhisar) in southwestern Anatolia, by the descendants of the Lydian colonists, who had founded the city.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaLydian languageWikipediaWEBtimestamp 23:17, 30 November 2021

Sardis forgot who they were, where their strength came from, and so they died. Step number one is always listening with an open mind. By open mind I mean with a keen desire to understand, not necessarily agree. When I say listen I mean making every effort to understand and not just hear. People have coping mechanisms to protect them from information overload, and that is particularly common today, but when it comes to the word of God we need to be particularly careful in writing off people or the information that they present. We always need to make sure that we understand what is being proposed, and that is very hard when we already have our minds made up. I am talking from repeated experience. Over and over again I have to struggle to open my mind when people raise issues that I think that I have already resolved, bearing in mind that absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence. It is hard work but it is the only way to avoid step 1 of the Sardis' problem. The next part is going to the Bible to check things that I have checked before. 99% of the time I end up with the same conclusion that I started with but I always learn something and in the 1% I have to eat crow. This was Sardis' problem. If we become inflexible then the wineskin bursts under the pressure of new knowledge. The house begins to be built on sand and when the crisis comes it is destroyed. Eventually they have nothing left.

Many Churches encourage the pay-and-pray approach. The ministers know everything and the others just submit. The Bible gives us a different approach. Always seek wisdom for yourself and do not assume.

Do not depend on the pastor. In Sardis the pastors were part of the problem. Pastors are there to help guide but they are not perfect. Show them honour for their work but they are not better, just different. That applies to everyone else in the Church. In Sardis the existence is a very sad one of just drifting away from the truth. They still have a reputation or background that links them to a special relationship with God but they have dying works. They are stuck with old ways that have not been reexamined. You came to a knowledge of the truth by scrutinising what you knew; pursuing the evidence. That is HOW. They have forgotten HOW they received the truth and God is pleading with them to remember.

Wisdom starts with information. We have to be ready and willing to gather information, which in the case of Christians always involves Christ and scripture. The information on Christ and scripture is impacted by information from all areas of life so we never stop learning, since life is not static but evolves. Thoroughly understanding scripture often involves understanding the context in the world. For example in Matthew 19:24 Christ says it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of A needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God. Fables about Christ actually reffing to a type of gate have emerged over time and some claim to have evidence based on existing structures in Jerusalem. There is nothing of Jerusalem that existed at the time of Christ. The Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed in 70AD, but the general layout of the city of Jerusalem with its street plan survived until 135 AD. In 135 AD, after the Bar Kokhba revolt, the city was razed to the ground. In its place, a Greek city called Aelia Capitolina was constructed. Christ is talking about something that is difficult so he could not be talking about something that people did all of the time like pass through a gate and there is no surviving architecture to reference. Sardis, like the Bereans, received the truth with an open mind and followed up by checking the scripture but now it seems that they can no longer be bothered. Their names are written in the Book of Life (verse 5) but they lose it through carelessness. James warns us that our faith is known by our works. I used to believe that these are people who have been told that grace is enough but now I am more inclined to believe that these are people who have become fed up or disgusted or disillusioned or cocky or feel superior and are now just drifting away from God's truth, having forgotten the excitement of coming into light from the darkness. When you forget how you came to the truth you are open to deception and having your name blotted out because you came to the truth through pursuing true evidence.

The word translated above into English as Christ is not a proper name. It actually means messiahs in the Greek. Some may be children that take the Kingdom for granted because they have grown up in a Christian family. God knows them and they are sanctified but they do not keep the Sabbath, or the Feasts, or keep the commandments so they just drift into oblivion. However it happens, the issue is that they close their minds from expanding with the truth as life changes. What they had shrivels and dies or explodes. So how should we receive God's truth?

Solomon

I inserted this topic here because I want to contrast wisdom and understanding with the Holy Spirit. When we first come to the Knowledge of God we acquire a taste for the knowledge of the kingdom and our appetite is opened. Solomon was the wisest man that ever lived and he had acquired a taste for all knowledge and his appetite for knowledge in general.

When you look at what that meant is that Solomon accumulated knowledge about all sorts of things and he actually understood the topic, not just memorised it. That is a Godly trait, one that all Christians need and it is particularly true of the Scriptures. In preaching the Gospel and defending the faith we have to counter a vast variety of attacks and the Holy Spirit only brings things back to our mind, it does not create them from thin air.

The Sardis Church apparently forgot that this is how it works, particularly with regard to scripture.

With gladness

Scripture is something to appreciate and be excited about.

With all readiness of mind

Other ways in which they received the truth was 1.. as the word of God and 2.. through the sacrifice of others.

We must treat God's word with respect and check it out even if we think that the bearer is an idiot. The word of God has authority and power. It is not on the same level as academic works or philosophies. It is not to be trifled with.

The Pros: These are harmless people (going through the motions)

The Cons: These poor people have become lost

The Requirement: Force yourself to remember how you came to a knowledge of the truth in the first place

The Promise: 1..I know, 2..Eternal life

The only thing that Sardis had was a legacy but they lacked works. Godly faith is kept alive by works; pursuit of the truth concerning realities affecting you. Their only works were in keeping their reputation, their name. It was important to them to be linked to a historical lineage but that was it. Like the Jews they had a Moses but God was not doing anything new in them. It is sad but through their inaction they are snatching defeat from victory. They worked so hard to become part of God's Church and lose it because the environment kills their motivation. The problem here is works or rather effort. There are people who know the gospel and identify themselves as Christian and have a record of obedience but cannot repent when they are wrong because they cannot learn. This is deadly. Even though the Bible gives us the steps it is still always hard to change. It takes work, good works. James tells us:

So how do people stop doing the right works? My understanding of the problem with the Sardis Church is that they forgot HOW they came to hold the truth. I believe that this is worth repeating: as I understand it, truth came by hearing (Romans 10:17). It required listening with an open mind because you cannot put new wine into an old wineskin (Matthew 9:17). It required checking the Bible like the Bereans (Acts 17:11) to hold fast what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Sardis forgot this and so they died. Step number one is always listening with an open mind. We need to be particularly careful in writing off people or the information that they present. Listen with an open mind. The next part is going to the Bible to check things that you have checked before. This encapsulates Sardis' problem. If the wineskin of people's mind bursts then people abandon their faith, and the desire to ignore the Bible and the desire to ignore what other Christians say, is reinforced. Eventually they have nothing left.

From another perspective, if your pride tells you that you are better than the poor wise man then there is no need to see any value in him. He is just not worth considering.

If you have reached the stage where everyone else is a poor wise man then why bother. Today some that we love have become so disillusioned with the pride of pastors and Church goers that they just don't bother any more. Maybe we can help them remember what they know. On the other hand, it is not so easy to convince the ones who are so full of pride that they can just summarily dismiss anything that conflicts with their views.

The Bereans and Apollos stand in contrast to Sardis. Apollos was an apostle of the Gospel of John but He listened to Aquila and Priscilla:

He could have claimed that he was a big shot and put them in their place. The Berean Jews were a group who could have said that we have Moses but instead listened to Paul and Silas

PHILADELPHIA

Spiritual Discernment (practising discernment between spiritual and carnal). THE ENVIRONMENT IS ONE WHERE THESE PEOPLE PRESERVE A LIFESTYLE THAT STICKS TO GOD'S WORD BUT ARE CRITICISED BY THOSE WHO CLAIM TO BE OF THE ROYAL LINE OF GOD (REVELATION 3:9). THIS MAY WELL BE OTHER MEMBERS OF GOD'S CHURCH LIKE THE LAODICEANS, EPHESUS OR SARDIS WHO WERE THEIR NEIGHBOURS. THERE WAS THE RISK OF LETTING GO THE BONE FOR THE REFLECTION. THEY HAD TO HOLD ON TO THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS DESPITE HOW OTHERS APPEARED TO BE BETTER OUTWARDLY.

I titled this Spiritual Discernment but this is not only about understanding, it is about applying spiritual discernment. Sardis was an issue of the mind but Philadelphia is an issue of the heart. Oxford dictionary says that the mind is the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness and thought. In scripture the heart is more than that because it includes or one's entire emotional nature, i.e. it includes the contribution of the Spirit of God. I can see a key problem for Philadelphia in that they were sandwiched between Laodicea, Sardis and Ephesus. Laodicea wanted them to find the easy way out, Sardis wanted them to forget about spiritual growth and Ephesus wanted them to forget about this love thing; every man for himself. Their neighbours were doing well and they did not have to suffer. Philadelphia is centred around the matter of if we live by physical evidence or spiritual evidence and in addition to the above, the Jews (Synagogue of Satan) were always there to point the wrong way. While other Churches had the problem of having to add something Philadelphia had the problem of trying to hold on to something, their spiritual discernment, instead of buckling to the establishment. Godly love requires being guided by spiritual discernment. We have all probably heard the ancient proverb the way to hell is paved with good intentions.

Among the places that I sought information on Philadelphia was www.bible-history.com. The last time that I checked (January 2021) it was https://bible-history.com/smiths/p/philadelphia. I also used https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ala%C5%9Fehir. . Since my original writing I have also come across a very interesting article at Truth About Turkey - Meditations about the seven churches of Revelation, https://autumnridgechurch.wordpress.com/philadelphia/

Philadelphia means the city of brotherly love. Brotherly love (of the Spirit) contrasts with legalistic obligations (of the law). The modern name is Alasehir but in Antiquity and the Middle Ages it was known as Philadelphia. In 189 BC King Eumenes II of Pergamon (197-160 BC) set up the city and named the city for the love of his brother whose loyalty earned him the nickname, Philadelphos, literally meaning one who loves his brother. Attalus II (159-138 BC) succeeded his brother as king. The city came into the hands of the Roman Empire upon the death of Attalus III Philometer, the last of the Attalid kings of Pergamum, who had no children and bequeathed his kingdom to his Roman allies when he died in 133 BC. Rome established the province of Asia in 129 BC by combining Ionia and the former Kingdom of Pergamum.

Quoting from Wikipedia at January 2021, caption Roman Philadelphia, Philadelphia was in the administrative district of Sardis (Pliny NH 5.111). In AD 17, the city suffered badly in an earthquake, and the Roman emperor Tiberius relieved it of having to pay taxes (Tacitus Annales 2.47, cf. Strabo 12.8.18, 13.4.10, John Lydus de mensibus 4.115). In response, the city granted honors to Tiberius. Evidence from coinage reveals that Caligula helped the city; under Vespasian, Philadelphia received his cognomen, Flavia. Under Caracalla, Philadelphia housed an imperial cult; its coins bore the word Neokoron (literally, "temple-sweeper"—caretaker of the temple). A small theater located at the northern edge of Toptepe Hill is all that remains of Roman Philadelphia .

So when considering the impact of the Synagogue of Satan, consider that the Jews of Sardis (which was the administrative centre or capital of Asia) would be like people from the big city to Philadelphia, which would be like country cousins. This is exactly what we would expect from the Synagogue of Satan which was explained in the message  to Smyrna. All around Philadelphia would be people who have material evidence (they have Moses and they have means) that they are better blessed by God when actually they are not.

Continuing from Wikipedia now under caption  The Sardis Synagogue : . . .Since 1958, both Harvard and Cornell Universities have sponsored annual archeological expeditions to Sardis. These excavations unearthed perhaps the most impressive synagogue in the western diaspora yet discovered from antiquity, yielding over eighty Greek and seven Hebrew inscriptions as well as numerous mosaic floors. (For evidence in the east, see Dura Europos in Syria.) The discovery of the Sardis synagogue has reversed previous assumptions about Judaism in the later Roman empire. Along with the discovery of the godfearers / theosebeis inscription from Aphrodisias, it provides indisputable evidence for the continued presence of Jewish communities in Asia Minor and their integration into general Roman life at a time when many scholars previously assumed that Christianity had eclipsed Judaism .

According to Strabo, the city was in constant danger of earthquakes, and shocks were an everyday occurrence. The constant threat of earthquakes could also have been seen as direct acts of God against spiritually impoverished Christians. Earthquakes may hold another clue to understanding the writings of John. Typically when earthquakes rocked an ancient city the only thing left standing would be pillars. God promised that those who overcome would be pillars (Revelation 3:12), they would remain standing despite the ravages of the environment and continue to support His Temple. He would also write His inscription on them in the New Jerusalem to show all that when all else failed, these preserved the record of His existence in the earth throughout time. Philadelphia also housed an imperial cult which would explain the additional encouragement that God gave them to hold on. As a matter of fact it came to be called the little Athens in the 6th century AD because of its festivals and temples. It had something for everybody who would drift from God. Philadelphian Christians needed to be very discerning and not get caught in a spiritual sleight of hand.

Christ reminds them that deliverance (which would include from the earthquakes, the Jews and the Romans) and access to the Kingdom is found in Him (which is the Bible and their relationship with Him), and hence any claim to power from a deviation is an invalid one. Philadelphia has kept the word, meaning that others will not be keeping the word but will nevertheless lay claim to being of the Royal Seed. To me the key is verse 10 where it says kept the word of my patience. The word means what was said or written down IN THE FIRST CENTURY or else they could not keep it. Notice that it is not about Christ's patience it is about the word or what was written down of His patience. Of my patience is going back to Revelation 1:9, I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. . .. That is in turn tied to Revelation 14:4-12 where it is concerned with Babylon destroyed in the aftermath of the saints being glorified. The challenge then is to hold on to the Bible and, as emphasized in verse 10, what was said of the expectation of His coming. This goes back to Hebrews 10:24-27 which is not talking about going to church but means just what it says, getting together. The Bible tells us how to live in preparation of His coming, not the opinions of worldly authorities. The promise is that God will give us the royal reward. The reminder is that He (the Bible or the Word) is the one who decides.

Notice that Philadelphia had a spiritual challenge (sticking to the Word, Revelation 3:8) exacerbated by pressure from their neighbours (Revelation 3:9). This is an extremely difficult emotional burden. Take the abuse and do not retaliate but keep positive instead. It is virtually impossible to do continuously on human strength alone. In order to be philadelphian we nee to know who our true brother is. Who are the brotherhood of true Jews? It is revealed by spirit and explained in Romans 2:28-29.

The Holy Spirit

I added this topic because I wanted to contrast it with the situation with Solomon in the previous letter i.e. the one to Sardis. For all the wisdom that Solomon had that would still only make him a babe in Christ  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. [2] I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. [3] For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men (I Corinthians 3:1-3 [KJV])? Solomon's problem with women was carnal. Solomon had wisdom and understanding but that is not the same as what is provided by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit takes things to another level. We see from I Corinthians 2:6 that wisdom is a fruit of the Holy Spirit but it is a level of wisdom that natural minds do not understand. Scripture says But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23 [KJV]), which does not mention wisdom, but there is hidden wisdom in those things when they are directed by the Holy Spirit, as it brings things to remembrance and combines its fruit with what we know. For example zeal (as Paul had before the Holy Spirit - Philippians 3:5-6) and temperance (as Paul Preached after conversion - Acts 24:24-5) can be conflicting if not led by the Spirit. In both cases Paul was using the same Torah but at one time (before the Holy Spirit) it was used to murder Christians while at another (after the Holy Spirit) he was willing to die for them. But getting back to the scripture under scrutiny, Revelation 3 records that they hast kept my word (from verse 8) , and hast kept the word of my patience (from verse 10). Looking back at Galatians 5:22 we find that longsuffering and faith (which are both required to keep the word) come from the Holy Spirit, hence it was knowledge enhanced by the fruit of the Spirit that enabled them to stick to the word and not deny God's name. The key to Philadelphia is that they used God's spirit and developed from babes in Christ to become mature. That is why, in the case of what a Jews is, there would be one type of wisdom and understanding without the Spirit and another with it, but the Philadelphians got it right.

the Key of David

What is the Key of David? One element of the key is that he was of the royal tribe, a Jew; the other was probably his heart, a heart after God's own heart. He appears not to have been of great physical stature but had a mighty heart that God said was after His own. He patiently waited for God to give Him the Kingdom and did not see it fit to grasp it for himself. David was given the kingdom and Saul tried to prevent him. God removed Saul; David did not touch him. God opened the door and no man could shut it. It was because of David's heart and not the physical size of Saul that Israel was strong.

The other reference to this statement is directed to Shebna, who usurped authority in the King's palace and God put in place whom He wanted (Isaiah 22:20-22): In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. Again we see the association with the royal tribe and the correct heart. This brings us to the book of Matthew and David's heart.

How did David know that if he acted this way it would be justified? It had to do with his heart, much like Philadelphia knew how to treat one type of Jew as opposed to another.

A pillar in the temple of my God

The Temple of God had only two pillars. They were called Jachin and Boaz.

The names are rare in the Bible and hence the association is unmistakable. They are founders or pillars. One was a pillar of the origin of Israel and the other was a pillar of the hope of Israel. The beginning and the end. The temple lay between them. They were at the two ends of the porch in front of the temple and the porch was the width of the temple, hence the temple was between and behind them.

Jachin (the origin)

Jachin (meaning He Establishes, He Will Give Certainty) was a son of Simeon according to Genesis 46:10, Exodus 6:15, and Numbers 26:12. He was one of the 70 souls to migrate to Egypt with Jacob (the beginning of Israel) but you do not hear them make any fuss or get into any trouble. They did their job quietly. Their notoriety is in their anonymity by succeeding without drawing attention to themselves.

Jachin the source, Boaz the strength

Boaz (meaning In Strength, By Strength) was the Kinsman Redeemer that saved Ruth and Naomi, rescuing the line that brought forth the Seed of Israel that was to be saviour. It was by the strength of his right hand that God brought Israel out of Egypt, the house of Bondage.

Interestingly Zerubabel, the king, did not succeed by normal strength.

And in support of that you will notice that it was Jachin that was on the right not Boaz (1 Kings 7:21, II Chronicles 3:17). Of two pillars in front of Solomon's temple, Jachin was the one on the right; the left one is named Boaz. God's right hand is by spirit not our own strength, although we will be given plenty of that. Jachin is the one who gives the strength. According to Abarim publications on the name Jachin, https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Jachin.html,  The name Jachin is derived from a future form of כון (kun). For a meaning of the name Jachin, Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names proposes He Will Give Certainty or He Will Establish. NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads He (God) Establishes. So you see there was a provider of strength and a receiver of strength looming over the entrance to the Temple. The indication is that having both was required to enter.

Revelation 3:7-13

The Pros: These are people with heart more than power (the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak). They do not presume authority but wait on God in obedience. Revelation 3 explains the problem but the solution is actually in James 1:4-8 supported by Luke 11:10-13

The problem in Sardis was that they stopped challenging their boundaries of wisdom themselves, but wisdom alone does not suffice. Solomon was wise and there are many PHDs in the Church. The difference is the combination with the Holy Spirit to use that wisdom rightly. The Holy Spirit provides the true power. David had God's Spirit and that is how he slew Goliath etc. and it is how the Philadelphians knew a true Jew.

The Cons:

The Requirement: Wait

The Promise: 1..I know, 2..Eternal life

Obedience and respect is something that needs to be practised by children because it is critical to God. Our nation is becoming disrespectful and disobedient.

The synagogue of Satan. Christ Himself basically defined the term earlier in dealing with Smyrna:

As was said when dealing with Smyrna, this is referring to a group who claim to be of the royal line of Israel (Jews) but are really agents of Satan. The book of Romans tells us who the real Jews are in God's sight: Romans 2:28-29 [KJV] For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:  [29] But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God . The synagogue of Satan stands in opposition to God's Church. The Synagogue of Satan then is an organisation that impersonates the Church but blasphemes God; or on a personal level a group that presents itself as being the elect of God but really turn people away from God. In the message to Smyrna they primarily were associated with our fears. I believe that this fear is also being used against Philadelphia but now it is the fear of suffering needlessly and bringing unnecessary hardship on those that we love because of our stand for righteousness, instead of joining with the establishment and benefitting from material prosperity.

God promises that for not blaspheming Him and for patiently keeping His word in opposition to the Synagogue of Satan, this group will be protected from a fierce temptation that comes for an hour. It will be relatively short but extremely vicious. It does not necessarily come at the End Time because the phrase come quickly can also mean respond with urgency as in Revelation 2:5. From history it is not absolutely clear to me that those who display Philadelphian behaviour will always be protected while the other Christians face the brunt of persecution, especially since you can display Philadelphian behaviour and still have other faults for which He promised punishment.

These remain in the city that has no physical temple but are pillars in the temple and go no more out. This group has names which are the same name as God's (exactly what you would expect of a married woman) and they also have the name of the city which is the bride.

We also find that the group has names written and the city has names written like directions or addresses. These major names are the same as the twelve tribes of Israel (like the gates) but we have already established that the church has these names, since the only way to become an Israelite is to join a tribe. Later you will see that the description of the 144,000 means that these must belong to that group since they too are always with Christ. The 144,000 are therefore Christians.

LAODICEANS

Self deception. LAODICEANS WANTED THE EASY LIFE AT ANY COST. LAODICEANS WERE THE ONES THAT GOD SAID NEEDED TRIALS (REVELATION 3:18) TO GET THE QUALITY SPIRITUAL THINGS THAT THEY NEEDED. TRIALS (OR RATHER THE LACK OF THEM) WAS AT THE ROOT OF THEIR SPIRITUAL PROBLEM. IT IS NOT THAT GOD DID NOT SEND TRIALS (1 TIMOTHY 6:17, MATTHEW 7:11) BUT THEY AVOIDED THEM THROUGH COMPROMISING GOD'S WILL. THE COMPROMISING AND SELF DECEPTION COMES FROM SAYING THAT GOD WOULD NOT MIND IF.... GOD DID NOT INTEND FOR THEM TO AVOID THESE TRIALS BUT FACE THEM. ESCAPING TRIALS THROUGH COMPROMISE WILL ALWAYS APPEAR TO BE WORKING, HUMANLY SPEAKING.

At the personal level Laodiceans fool themselves that when they face a trial they can compromise God's way in order to avoid it and God would not mind. I have to eat, my stomach hurts and all I see is shrimp so God would not mind if... . This is the self-deception that is being referred to here. There are other ways to deceive ourselves but the primary focus of the message to Laodicea is the type of self deception that leads to letting down our standards in order to avoid a trial. Trials are about developing faith.

The other key element, and I believe that it is the main one, is denial. God said that these are the seven things that we must overcome and some people believe that they do not apply to them. We are like Peter and the others when they claimed that they would never deny Christ. You are lying. They apply to everyone. Whomever you are you are facing all seven things right now. You have not overcome ANY of them. The danger is in believing that you can relax and that leads to a lack of zealousness. We think that we are not abandoning God but we are not striving either. We have reached our comfort zone. In reality it is a constant battle.

In history Laodiceans had money and class. You can google Laodicea on the Lycus. They were so independently wealthy that when an earthquake hit the city during the reign of Nero in 60 AD they declined imperial assistance and rebuilt the town out of their own pockets. They were patrons of the arts, advanced in science and literature and had a great medical school. The wealthy citizens embellished Laodicea with beautiful monuments and they minted their own coins. They were independently wealthy.

As pointed out by Revelation 3:18, Laodiceans were unwilling to endure hardship for the sake of the Gospel. This is largely the subject of II Timothy 2. I pay special attention to verses 3-5 and 10 in the KJV which says: Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. [4] No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. [5] And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully...[10]Therefore I endure all things for the elects sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory . Paul makes two critical points: (1) we cannot be bogged down with comforts and (2) we have to obey the rules not to be disqualified from the race. Christ tackles the problem from a different angle in Revelation but ends with the same exhortation. If we do not endure the suffering that the rules require then we will be disqualified. The Laodiceans created an artificial reality for themselves that did not include this.

A major problem today is that people insist that grace is all and this is compounded by the prosperity gospel. It has all but killed the righteousness of some of my friends. They do what they feel like and are convinced that God will accept them however they are because they lead comfortable lives now. God has always contradicted that approach.

This can also be exhibited in the Church by believing that our material possessions are an indication of our spiritual standing with God. There is no direct connection between material prosperity and righteousness or faith because it may or may not be. In Job's case it was not but in Abraham's case it was. The environment is one of being lukewarm. They saw no need to go beyond their comfort zone. They would consider a successful Christian an extremist. The PERCEPTION was I have it all SPIRITUALLY because I am materially OK. They base this on human standards of materialism or intelligence. A typical attitude would be I have ALL the truth that I need and do not have to live like those religious extremists, or I am blessed just as I am, look at what material things God has given me. The TRUTH is that you are SPIRITUALLY blind and you do not have anything of lasting value.

The Pros: These are harmless people

The Cons: they had a false sense of importance and a false sense of security

The Requirement: endure trials and do not compromise to escape them.

The Promise: 1..I know, 2..Eternal life with class 3.. You don't have much to do to reach me. Like some Pharisees they are not far from God.

Paul said that the way to see is to always assume that you are stupid and seek God in His word. Even the apostles are owned by God and serve for our sake, so they are just tools. It is God that we must be grounded in not men.

The Laodiceans are Christians who cannot grow/repent because they deceive themselves into believing that they have got it covered (Revelation 3:17) by compromising to avoid trials (Revelation 3:18) instead of standing by the authority of The Word. This problem still exists. Many Christians see their material success as an indication of their spiritual status. It blinds them of the need to become fully committed to the will of God. The problem with Laodicea is that they were blinded by their material accomplishments. The promises here are 1: God loves them and will chastise them and 2: until they show zeal for Him He will find them revolting. As Christians we must always see the need to improve. The feeling that we are OK or exempt (like how the disciples felt that they could not abandon Christ) is a wake up call to do some self-examination.

We must all be motivated to break free of whatever threat of suffering or pain that acts as a barrier to our perfection.

I Stand at the Door and Knock

This message is often presented as though it was directed to all of the Churches but it targeted Laodicea, the self deluded. Christ demonstrated that when He was alive He was not welcomed by the wealthy and comfortable but by the poor and infirm. In general He could not knock on the door of the Sadducees or Pharisees and expect to be welcomed. They held the wealth and status and had no place for Him. Even in the cases where it is recorded that they did invite Him their values collided with His. Laodiceans want to be accepted by Sadducees and Pharisees. They do not want the associations of Christianity to come in and upset the apple cart.

Christ did not shout or identify Himself. Those inside would not know who was outside except they look. Notice that the person at the door did not shout. There are a couple of scenarios in which this is particularly important. First, if it is your master's home, and not ours, then he might expect the following treatment.

If our master has gone out to return then we need to be alert and looking out for Him to return. We need to answer every knock because we never know. The master will not shout at what is His own house. He will expect a servant to come to the door. In this scenario we are keeping our master waiting. If we respond promptly He is the type of master that will not only share the meal but will eat with us.

Typically the master ate first and then the servants. This would be an unusual master. If the servant is not diligent then he could find himself in this situation.

Another scenario is described in Acts. This time it is a pleasant surprise and we are overwhelmed.

Here the person knocking was hated by the authorities and we would all be in danger if he sounded his voice. He knocks persistently but does not dare shout. Laodiceans wanted to maintain the status quo but a seditious visitor could upset that situation. They would want to keep the whole thing quiet. In both of these cases the person knocking is no stranger. This fits the situation of Laodicea.

The question then becomes how do I view myself? In both cases above it is the servant that answered the door. Now notice the situation when nobody answered the door.

In this case even though the person shouted their need the homeowner was not eager to respond. If you are a Laodicean homeowner who is comfortably in bed then you may not answer. Most of us were not raised as servants and do not have servant minds. If we do not have a servant mind then we will believe that we are the homeowner and act accordingly. If we have a servant mind then we assume that the house belongs to someone else. So which am I and which should I be?

The final and most pertinent issue is at the core of what being a Laodicean means. I call them self deluded and that is concise, but you will also note that I explain that their issue is that they always find a way to sidestep trials. That is what a Laodicean is at the core. Laodiceans avoid trials by compromising God's will. To understand the issue we must consider who Christ was to the Jews and Romans, not to the Church. He was a malefactor. To accept Him into one's home meant trouble and trials. The Laodiceans would find a way to make avoiding entertaining Christ, the author of their religion, seem to be a reasonable decision. They may even turn him in and get the reward and think that the reward money is a blessing. A heart that is bent on avoiding trials will eventually delude itself into rationalising even the most obvious blunder.

In General

For all. THE EIGHTH AND FINAL MESSAGE IS DIRECTED TO EVERYBODY THAT HAS EARS. IT SAYS THAT ALL OF THE MESSAGES APPLY TO ALL CHURCHES SINCE THE SPIRIT IS SPEAKING TO ALL. EACH SITUATION WAS PARTICULARLY ACUTE IN ONE CHURCH BUT IT APPLIES TO EVERYONE TO SOME DEGREE.

Now each of the messages above were directed at a specific church but at the end of each message God tells us that the spirit speaks to ALL the churches and we must be careful to listen to that spirit. Is there some other message? No. The messages are given by one spirit to all the Churches. In every Church there is an element of all the Churches. Every Christian has to deal with these things in himself or in others.

All of the churches existed during the last 3½ years

You will know that I am not in favour of Church eras because it encourages people to believe that certain issues with the Church only exist at special times. It is obvious that Philadelphia exists during the 3½ years because they are the ones protected from the trouble of the 3½ years by the prophecy, so the trouble has to exist during their time or else there is no need of protection. Since that is the last 3½ years of human rule then Laodicea, which is mentioned after Philadelphia, must exist concurrently or do not exist at all. Now to me it is obvious based on Matthew 24:21 (It was never so bad and never will be again) that all aspects of the Church would be around at the time of the end but some people make an argument using Philadelphia because they want to claim that they are something special. Anyhow that leaves five churches unaccounted for.

Ephesus: love growing old is their problem. Ephesus has to exist in the last 3½ years. I believe that this covers Ephesus.

Smyrna: there will be fear. Will there be a reason to fear around the time of the 3½ years?

Also during the heavenly signs of Revelation 6

Pergamos: there will be exploitation for money and pre-eminence (making gain of the Church). Note that Balaam's issue was money while the Nicolaitan's was pre-eminence but they both used the same insider subterfuge.

In addition, if we look at 2 Timothy 3 above, the Church is warned of a climate where men will be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, Will they close all of the large corporations, the banks and insurance companies? Will Christians stop investing in them? Will any of that behaviour that God warns the Church not to be a part of be in the Church so that the warning was unnecessary? Will there be an end to the haves and the have-nots based on trivial things like pedigree and how these things work to subtly justify exploitation?

Thyatira: Seduction and wrong teaching by those we are close to. Will the pagan Church cease to infiltrate the true Church? Will people in the Church stop allowing influential idolaters to teach them right from wrong? Will people who are nice but under Satans control stop seeing value in consorting with genuine Christians, and will Christians succumb? Again Paul's warnings to Timothy suggest that there will be that problem of seduction.

Sardis: Some who already have their names in the Book of Life will have it blotted out.

From the description these obviously had their names written in the book of life but do they all overcome or will some be deceived?

Paul recognised that even he could become a castaway.

Laodicea: Laodiceans deceived themselves that having the good life meant spiritual security even when it required compromise. I already pointed out that if Philadelphia is in existence then Laodicea must also be.

The point is that you can make a clear case for every Church described in Revelation 2-3 existing in the last 3½ years simultaneously so don't listen to people who act as though they have all disappeared by then. People of every age choose which ones they want to see because they have an interest in being the blessed one. You can make the same argument at any other period in history and that is why Christians always believe that they are living in the last days. You cannot successfully argue that because Philadelphia exists then the others do not.