Sardis

The details of the letter to the angel at the church at Sardis begins in chapter 3 of Revelation. This church was located about 30 miles south of Thyatira. It was prosperous commercially and strategic militarily because of its location on the important Hermus River valley road.

The city itself was on a rock hill with the acropolis containing the temple of Artemis 800 feet above the north section of Sardis. The city had rock walls nearly vertical with the only access being from the south. This limited access turned Sardis into a fortress which had been captured only twice throughout its history (and those two times, it is said, was through deception - not outright military overrun).

On the skyline of Sardis, some seven miles away, is the necropolis or cemetery of a "thousand hills" or modern Bin Tepe. It is so named because of the hundreds of burial mounds there.

A great wool industry flourished in the region which may have lead to the comment in verse 4 about white garments. This may have had special meaning to the members at the Sardis church.


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   1"To the messenger of the church in Sardis, write:
          The one who has God's seven spirits and the seven stars says:  I know what you have done. You are known for being alive, but you are dead.
    "To the MESSENGER of the church in Sardis, write:
      'The one who has
    1.  GOD'S seven SPIRITS and
    These seven spirits have been and always will be before the throne. John says so in Revelation 1:4 that they are (today - present tense) before the throne. What are these seven SPIRITS?
    1. the seven stars says:

      2. John sees, in his first vision, that the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches - Revelation 1:20. This indicates that the church at Sardis is being "weighed" against the things of the SPIRIT and heavenly things of worth (angels and their worship).
I know what you have done. You are known for being alive, but you are dead.

Apparently the Sardis church looks very active but much activity under a religious banner means nothing. Jesus gives us a very curious passage in Matthew 7:20-23 where people are going to claim their works (all, notice, appearing very religious or supernatural) as their tickets into heaven. Not so, Jesus says "I never knew you". All our works, including religious-appearing ones, will be tested as though by fire.... 1 Corinthians 3:12-17.

The Sardis church, whether it was the proximity of the necropolis or an internal matter, was DEAD. Sure they were active maybe even included pagan death rites in their worship, but they had lost that ALIVE, GOD-GLORIFYING, and GOD-HONORING worship.
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