1"To the angel of the church in
Sardis
write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God
and
the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being
alive,
but you are dead.
"To the ANGEL of the church in Sardis write: These are the
words
of him who holds
the seven SPIRITS of GOD 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?
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 your deeds; you have a reputation of 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.
2Wake up! Strengthen what
remains
and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the
sight
of my God.
WAKE UP!
A few at Sardis still knew of the real God, the real Son, and the
real Holy Spirit but they had been suppressed so long by "ritual"
(worthless
religion) that they needed to wake up. The same is true for ALL
churches
today.....WAKE UP!
3Remember, therefore, what you
have
received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up I
will
come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to
you.
REMEMBER, therefore, what you have received and heard;
From whom did they receive and what did they hear? They received
instruction
from the apostles and other prophets; that is what they heard...Bible
was
not written down as such for the church members to each have a copy.
Thus,
it was by hearing the truth (not the misleading religion like Jezebel
was
perpetrating at Thyatira).
OBEY IT and
The Word of God is a treasure worth holding on to - 2
Timothy 1:13-14. In Hebrews
3:5-6, Hebrews
4:10-13, and Hebrews
10:19-25, we are told to hold on to our hope of eternal life and to
nurture that hope by confession within an assemblage of believers. We
are
to hold on to that which is good - 1
Thessalonians 5:19-22. Lastly, holding on (abiding in) the Word
gives
us freedom -
John
8:31-36.
REPENT.
Repentance is ALWAYS required when sin has intervened and "deadened"
the
church. If you are one of those "dead" Christians, the solution to
becoming
alive again is here: REMEMBER, HOLD FAST, and REPENT!
But if you will not WAKE UP, I will come like a thief, and you
will not know at what time I will come to you.
While this may refer to Christ's return (the day of the Lord) as
recorded
in 1
Thessalonians 5:1-6, more likely this refers to the unpredictable
time
of DEATH. Remember this church was in view of the necropolis (burial
mounds)
and apparently was preoccupied with death rituals.
Furthermore, DEATH stops any chance to REMEMBER, HOLD FAST, and
REPENT.
4Yet you
have
a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will
walk
with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.
Yet you have a FEW people in Sardis who have not soiled their
clothes.
The FEW often seems to be the case....we are mostly followers or
indifferent.
It was true in Luke's time. Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth because
they
"walked blamelessly" (Luke
1:5-6) were given the privilege of being the parents of John the
Baptist,
the announcer and baptizer of Jesus Christ. Simeon, a "righteous and
devout"
man was one of the FEW who knew he would see the Lord's Christ before
he
died (Luke
2:25-26). And then there was Anna, a widowed prophetess, who for
many
years "never left the temple". She was given the task of speaking to
all
around that the Jesus is the redeemer of Jerusalem (Luke
2:36-38) that everyone was looking for.
But these instances are not that unusual. Even in very ancient
times,
it is recorded (Genesis
6:5-12), that Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord because he
was
a righteous man and blameless in his time. The rest of mankind's
wickedness
was very great.
In pagan religions at the time of Revelation's writing, it was
forbidden
to approach the gods in garments that were soiled or stained. This
spotting
or soiling symbolizes an otherwise pure life stained by pagan ideas or
beliefs. God's word says much about the purity of the Christian
life.
the 144,000 Jewish witnesses were blameless (Revelation
14:5)
food we eat does not matter, it is one God that matters (1
Corinthians 8:4-8).
cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit ... (2
Corinthians 7:1).
we should maintain the simplicity and purity of devotion to
Christ (2
Corinthians 11:1-3).
have mercy with fear on those whose garments are polluted by the
flesh
(Jude
22-23).
They will walk with me, dressed in WHITE,
The white garments are symbols of righteousness, victory, and the glory
of God.
in the advice to Laodicea, they were to buy white garments to
cover the
shame of their wickedness - Revelation 3:18.
the great tribulation martyr's robes were white - Revelation
6:11.
all redeemed saints around the Throne wore white robes - Revelation
7:9
the ones out of the great Tribulation had their robes washed
white in
the
blood of the Lamb - Revelation 7:14
the heavenly armies are wearing white (contrast that with today's
armies
in camouflage!) - Revelation 19:14
for they are WORTHY.
The faithful FEW in Sardis would walk with Him in white for they are
WORTHY.
No need to blame it on the church or to be a martyr to wear white; it
is
your own heart and life condition which will determine whether your
garment
is pure white or soiled.
Being WORTHY is rare indeed. For example, Christ was the ONLY one
WORTHY
to open the seals on the scroll held in the right hand of the One on
the
THRONE. Read about it starting in Revelation
5:1.
5He who overcomes will, like
them,
be dresssed in white, I will never erase his name from the book of
life,
but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.
He who overcomes
will, like them, be DRESSED in WHITE,
John, in his earlier letter in 1
John 3:1-3, says that if He, Christ, should appear that we will be
like Him. That is, the purity that the washing with His blood gives to
our garment makes it white. If you really want to see how He is, look
at Matthew
17:1-7.
I will NEVER erase his name from the BOOK OF LIFE,
In ancient cities, the names of the citizens were recorded in a
register
until death. At death, their names were removed from the book of the
living.
The Old Testament has the same idea. Apparently, during one of
their
several conversations, God told Moses about the Book of Life because
Moses
requests that his own name be removed from the book if God could not
forgive
the great sins of the people - Exodus
32:30-35.
David, says in Psalm
69:26-28, that those with iniquity should be blotted out of the
book
of life and not be recorded with the righteous.
Isaiah, in Isaiah
4:2-6, indicates that those left in Zion will be those "recorded
for
life" in Jerusalem, the Holy City.
Gradually, the book of life came to mean those people having
eternal
life (not just physical life). Daniel talks about the end times when
those
written in the book will be rescued from the time of distress - Daniel
12:1-3.
It is the greatest reason for rejoicing. Having your name in the
book
of life supercedes any kind of miracle performed, healing that takes
place,
or good deed performed - Luke
10:17-20.
The rest of Revelation refers to the book of life of the Lamb in
context
to those who do not follow the beast (Revelation
13:8), are not tempted by the woman riding the beast (Revelation
17:8), do not suffer the second death (Revelation
20:15), and inhabit the Holy City (Revelation
21:27).
Only a crime in ancient times could cause a persons name to be
removed
from the book of life (even though the person was still alive). Our
place,
as Christians, is more secure. Romans
8:37-39 lists all the things that might try to get our names
removed
from the book of life BUT won't succeed!
but will acknowledge his NAME before MY FATHER and HIS
angels.
This is the strongest evidence of the complete and perfect work of
Christ. That He will confess my name before God - Matthew
10:32-33 and His angels - Luke
12:8-10. All this while I stand there in my white, dazzling robe.
WOW!!!
6He who has an ear, let him
hear
what the Spirit says to the churches.
He who has an ear, let him HEAR what the SPIRIT says to the
churches.
Again the general exhortation comes at the end. This time it may have
had
added signifigance. Since Sardis seemed to be surrounded by the death
theme,
hearing and believing the Word of God (John
5:24-29) is the way to pass from death unto life!
7"To the angel of the church in
Philadelphia
write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the
key
of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can
open.
"To the ANGEL of the church in PHILADELPHIA write:
These are the words of him
who is HOLY
This is the first church where the "sender" is not described in terms
of His attributes in Revelation chapter 1. This One who is HOLY expects
us to be holy - Leviticus
19:1-4. Holiness leads us toward perfection - Matthew
5:48. Lastly, holiness wants to dwell where righteousness lives - 2
Peter 3:10-13.
and TRUE,
This is one of the great attributes of Christ as explained throughout
the New Testament. As Christians, we want to know Him who is true - 1
John 5:20.
who holds the key of DAVID.
Christ already has the keys of DEATH and HADES (Revelation
1:18) and now He has the key of DAVID. Not only does a key give the
ability to open and shut as we will see later in this verse, but it
also
places a great responsibility on the bearer. In Isaiah
22:15-25, Shebna apparently proved not to be able to bear the keys
responsibly, so the keys were given to Eliakim. The keys in Isaiah's
days
locked up the treasures of the Kings of Judah. Figuratively, it refers
to the great responsibilies of government. The keys were on a large
ring
carried over the shoulder. The future key bearer is none other that
Jesus
Christ - Isaiah
9:6-7.
To the Philadelphia church, Christ now proclaims to have the
keys which
control governments (nations) and He will use them to His purposes. We
must heed current world events in light of His having the KEY OF DAVID.
What he OPENS no one can shut, and what he SHUTS no one
can open.
The keys give you the authority to open or let in whomever the bearer
wants. Likewise, He can close or keep out whomever He wills. He has all
authority in heaven and earth - Matthew
28:18-20. This includes the church - Ephesians
1:22-23 and all mankind - John
17:1-3.
This can be viewed with terror if you feel Jesus will keep the
"door"
shut because you have not accepted Him as Lord
and
Savior. To those who have, He will open the door!
8I know your deeds. See, I have
placed
before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have
little
strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
"I know your DEEDS.
There is no indication what those deeds are. They must have been OK if
the Philadelphians are complemented later in this verse for not denying
His NAME.
See, I have placed before you AN OPEN DOOR that no one can shut.
Jesus says that He is the door (and He has the keys) - John
10:1-18. This may reflect the fact that Philadelphia was on the
crossing
of two major highways and was strategically located to spread the Word
of God throughout Asia.
Our access to God is through the OPEN DOOR - Romans
5:1-2.
When there is just a little STRENGTH, then the believer must TRUST God
to provide a way (in His time). Paul recognized God's OPEN DOOR and
timing
in Ephesus (1
Corinthians 16:8-9). Paul always looked for the OPEN DOOR. - Colossians
4:2-4.
yet you have kept MY WORD,
The pressures of daily living are great to dilute, compromise, (or
worst)
ignore the WORD of God. The Philadelphians KEPT the word .... how can
you
KEEP what you don't know or even take the time to find out? IT IS
CRITICAL
TO READ GOD'S WORD! Don't be moved away from the hope of the Gospel
- Colossians
1:21-23.
and have not denied MY NAME.
Jude
3-4 explains that certain persons will creep in unawares who turn
the
grace of God into licentiousness. You can always tell who these persons
are because they deny the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus, himself, says we
are
to deny ourselves NOT Him, Matthew
16:24-25.
THE
BELIEVER'S
PERSONAL LIFE
Little self strength
|—> Keeping the Word of God
|—> NOT deny Christ's name!
9I will make those who are of
the
synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are
liars
-- I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge
that
I have loved you.
I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim
to be Jews though they are not, but are liars --
The accusation here is of lying about the authenticity of the Messiah
(synagogue
of Satan is the symbolic counterpart). Refresh yourself with Smyrna
church
in Revelation 2:9 where there was
outright
blasphememy. The Philadelphia church had its Jewish subverters too;
only
they were more subtle.
I will make them come and fall down at your feet,
This is not a reference that unbelievers will reverence believers. That
kind of bowing down is reserved for Christ ONLY - Philippians
2:9-11. This reference is more like Joseph in Egypt where his
brothers
eventually fall down before him (not knowing who Joseph was) and beg
for
food (Genesis
44:14-17). The subtle Jews causing subversion will come and bow
down
at the feet of the true believers. It is a form of repentance.
and acknowledge that I have loved you.
It was this LOVE that caused Jesus to lay down His life for us - John
15:6-13.
Am I able to lay down my life for my friends? If I find it difficult
to worship God regularly, to study His Word daily, and to "pray
ceaselessly",
how will I find the spiritual strength to show this "greater LOVE"?
10Since you have kept my
command
to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that
is
going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.
Since you have KEPT my command to endure patiently,
The Philadelphian members receive an extra promise (other than the one
that goes to the 'overcomers'). The expression "my command to endure
patiently"
is somewhat difficult to understand. Ladd translates it as "the word
enjoining
Christ's patient endurance".
In either case, to suffer for Christ and to endure patiently is one
of the greatest tests of our Christian faith. Paul repeatedly endured
--
Philippians
1:29-30, encouraged --
2
Thessalonians 3:5, even as Christ did -
Hebrews
12:3. We are to TAKE HEART!
I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to
come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.
That this is the wrath of God is indicated by 'the hour of trial'.
That is not to say Christians won't have testing...they do. It's
called
persecution. But they will not suffer this particular kind of God's
wrath.
It seems that God has different forms of wrath. The one talked about
here
is for unbelievers, 'those who live on the earth'.
The term "keep you from" is most often interpreted as "to be kept
from
being present" or as it is sometimes called - The Rapture.
John
14:2-3,
1
Corinthians 15:51-53,
Philippians
3:20-21, and
1
Thessalonians 4:16-17 support Christ's coming again and receiving
us
into the heavenly mansions. However, "keep you from" could also be
interpreted
as "to be preserved through it" not unlike the 144,000 witnesses of Revelation
7:4 who are "sealed" or protected from harm.
At any rate, the arguing of the meaning of these phrases is not that
important. It is important, though, that this promise goes only to
whose
who have KEPT the Word (read it, know it, believed it, and lived it!)
through
ALL persecution. (Compare this "keeping" with the promise given to
Smyrna
church - Revelation 2:10).
11. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one
will
take your crown.
I AM COMING SOON.
This is not a threat of judgment but rather a promise of Christ's
second
coming. This phrase is used three times in Revelation 22. Find them.
The two previous churches, Thyatira and Sardis, also were given
notice
of His coming. At Thyatira (Revelation 2:25),
they were to hold fast until I COME otherwise a GREAT TRIBULATION
waited
for them. In Revelation 3:3 He would COME to Sardis
as
a thief and thus catch them unawares. So, the Philadelphia church, is
different.
They are watching and waiting so as to be kept from the HOUR of
testing.
HOLD ON to WHAT YOU HAVE, so that no one will take your crown.
The crown of Life had been promised to those who were faithful unto
death
at the Smyrna church (Revelation 2:10).
Other
crowns are available to the faithful. Here, the Philadelphians are to
hold
on to their beliefs and faith in God, lest they lose their crown.
There is the possibility to lose one's rewards as taught in 1
Corinthians 3:14-15. Or, if we become weary and quit working for
the
Lord, we will not reap certain benefits Galatians
6:9 (whether this means not getting a crown is debatable).
However, salvation is NEVER lost if one truly makes a commitment to
Christ. John
10:27-30 says Christ gives eternal Life
to his sheep who follow Him! THEY SHALL NEVER
PERISH!!!
12 Him who overcomes I will
make
a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will
write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the
new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I
will
also write on him my new name.
Him who overcomes
These are the ones with little strength (verse 8),
the
rest are DEAD! Here are the results of being an overcomer:
I will make a pillar in the temple of MY GOD.
This is a strengthening statement to the Philadelphians since the area
where they lived was prone to earthquakes and usually only the strong
temple
pillars remained standing after a good shaking.
Furthermore, it was common practice back then to honor a VIP, civic
or cleric, with their name placed on the pillar. This expression may be
interpreted like this.
This should not be so odd to us ... Revelation
21:22 tells us that the new Jerusalem has no temple other than God
and the Lamb. We, as the Lamb's bride, will live freely in that temple!
Never again will he leave it.
This is a permanent assignment. As with many things with God, a little
strength (verse 8) turns into the perfection of power
- 2
Corinthians 12:5-10. Trying to do things in our own strength is
foolishness
compared to the POWER of God.
I will write on him
the NAME of my God, and
What a privilege to have the NAME of God the Father written on us!
the
NAME of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem, which
is coming
down out of heaven from my God;
These are my citizenship papers.
and I will also write on
him my NEW NAME.
We will be identified forever with the Glory of Jesus because we will
bear
His new name.
In Old Testament, His name was Jehovah, which is thick and rich with
meaning.
In the present, it is JESUS, a sweet sound to our ears.
In the future, it is His new name. It is unknown to us at the moment
because it is one of the hidden mysteries of our future -
1
Corinthians 2:9,
Isaiah
64:4, and
Isaiah
65:17-18.
13He who has an ear, let him
hear
what the Spirit says to the churches.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches.
The route of the letters to the churches is amazing. While it appears
that
the route is through many agents, it really was directly from the Holy
Spirit/Lord all the time.
Hearing is a process of living people NOT dead people. Therefore, the
Spirit
is communicating to people who are alive. That is not unusual....1
Corinthians 14:26-33 indicates it is the spirit of the prophets who
communicate from a God of order and not confusion.
the speaker to the angel to the church at Laodicea goes back
before the
creation of the universe even to the beginning of God - John
1:1-5. Jesus has been forever ... not in the physical human form
but
as one part of the three-part God.
so listen up, Laodicea (and all other Christian churches)!!!
15I know your deeds, that you
are
neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
I know your DEEDS,
Again those all-seeing eyes penetrate to the heart of things.
that you are neither COLD nor HOT.
This may be an indirect reference to the water coming to Laodicea from
6 miles away; but most likely this refers to their lack of zeal -
Romans
12:9-13. (See also Revelation 3:19).
I wish you were either one or the other.
This is your spiritual temperature not your SAVED or UNSAVED condition.
COLD ——> Saved but not at all living the Spirit-filled life.
HOT ——> Truly on fire for the Lord through the Holy Spirit!
Praise the Lord, the sense of the verb is 'am about to' or in the
future.
There still is time to repent and to be renewed. According to 1
Peter 4:17-19, the church first is judged, then fakes ('ungodly')
within
the church, and lastly sinners.
17You say, 'I am rich; I have
acquired
wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are
wretched,
pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
YOU say,
Self assessment usually leads to self-engrandizement. While nobody
wants to hear bad truth, our approval and evaluation really comes from
the Lord - 2
Corinthians 10:12-18.
'I am RICH; I have acquired WEALTH and do not need a
thing.'
If materially RICH ——> faith in God usually is lacking.
If spiritually RICH ——> they were blinded or oblivious to the
intrusion
of "worldly things".
Christ gave us the characteristics of a spiritual Christian in the
Beatitudes
- Matthew
5:3-12.
But you do not REALIZE that you are
WRETCHED,
PITIFUL,
POOR,
BLIND, and
NAKED.
The Laodiceans could not see their poor state of health in the body
(of Christ?) and soul (inward condition). The Smyrnans were recognized
(Revelation 2:9) as having poverty (but
they
were rich). What a contrast between two churches!
Lastly, nakedness talks about a shameless way of "showing off" a
spiritual
way of life (Revelation 16:15) when, in
fact, the flesh is doing something totally different. The walk does not
match the talk; we need to wear the spiritual garments of purity,
righteousness,
and the glory of God.
18I counsel you to buy from
me
gold refined in the fire, so that you can become rich; and white
clothes
to wear, so that you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to
put
on your eyes, so that you can see.
I counsel you to BUY FROM ME GOLD refined in fire,
For a church so involved in materialism (apparently from all
the wealth of the city), to ask them to "BUY" points an accusing finger
at them and says they don't have everything SPIRITUALLY. In fact, they
have just enough spiritualism to make them "lukewarm".
so that you can become rich;
The spiritual process of buying starts with repentance,
the turning over of one's self. Then one acquires GOD (Jesus = GOLD)
and
eternal riches (LIFE). The Word of God is solid GOLD - John
7:16-18. Then a transformation takes place - 2
Corinthians 3:17-18, a strengthening inside us - Ephesians
3:14-19, and a preparation for the trials sure to come - 1
Peter 1:3-9.
and WHITE CLOTHES
to wear,
No good to just
buy the clothes....they had to put them on
so that you can cover your shameful nakedness;
Our SIN, unconfessed and unforgiven by the Lord, is our nakedness.
Only the white cloth of righteousness can hide our nakedness when we
receive
it and put it on.
and SALVE to put on your eyes, so that you can SEE.
Eyesalve impedes the "dazzling splendor" of the world's light. The
devil can make material things look so good. But eyesalve has another
function:
that of healing. It opens understanding to the hope of our calling - Ephesians
1:18; it removes the world's blinders - 2
Corinthians 4:4-6.
This verse indicates that the lukewarmness of Laodicea is not the
laxity
of Christians but rather the condition of not really knowing Christ.
They
may have accepted Him as their Savior BUT they have kept control of
their
life, i.e. haven't made Him their Lord.
What is your position today? Lukewarm because He isn't the
complete
Lord and Boss over your life?
19Those whom
I
love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.
Those whom I LOVE I REBUKE and DISCIPLINE.
The unwanted and unloved seldom have anyone around to discipline them.
Thus we should be thankful that God is around to discipline us. John
14:19-21 says we are loved by God, and He will disclose Himself to
us. So if we are sons of God, then as a Father He disciplines us - Hebrews
12:4-13 and
Proverbs
3:12. The "disciplining" is for our growth to bring us to a place
of
abundance according to
Psalm
66:8-15. We are to judge ourselves, and if we judge rightly then
the
Lord disciplines us - 1
Corinthians 11:28-32.
So
be EARNEST,
An earnest person is NOT lazy (lukewarm), they are on FIRE! 1
Corinthians 15:58.
and REPENT. The very last thing an unbeliever
wants
to do
is REPENT. The very last thing a believer wants to do is REPENT. Why?
20Here I am! I stand at the
door
and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in
and eat with him, and he with me.
Here I am! I stand at the door and KNOCK.
This is the door of the church at Laodicea (or your church) and not
necessarily
the heart's door as so many evangelists use this verse. This would
indicate
that there either were lots of deaf Christians or lazy Christians
ignoring
the knocking.
Note, too, that Christ is outside the church (Hebrews
13:12-13). We can go outside the church to be with him individually
OR the members of the church can invite Him in to be with them. He
would
prefer to come inside because He says
If ANYONE (in the church) hears my voice
(knock) and OPENS the DOOR,
There had to be some life in the church in order to hear the knock and
open the door - John
5:24-29 and John
10:24-30. Opening the door is the act of repentance and throwing
all
fleshly things into the dumper - Galatians
5:19-21.
I will COME IN and eat with him, and he with me.
As we sit down to eat with Him (His word), His Spirit is there as He
shares
His food (bountiousness of the Father) with us. Then we grow and become
strong Christians. Thus begins the beautiful relationship between the
believer
and the Holy Spirit - Colossians
3:15-17.
One note of warning: James
5:9 indicates those who don't open the door will face the Judge!
21To him who
overcomes,
I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame
and
sat down with my Father on his throne.
To him who overcomes I will give the right to SIT with me on
my THRONE; just as I also overcame and SAT DOWN with my Father on his
THRONE.
We have seen eariler in Revelation 1:6, Revelation
1:9, and
Revelation 2:27, that we, along
with John, anticipate to reign with Christ. Here it is outright
promised
to the Laodicean church (and we, too, if we overcome).
Later, during one of the praise sessions in Revelation
5:10 and in the thousand year period in Revelation
20:4, the 24 elders, the four living creatures, and the martyrs
also
indicate this joint reign.
Just as a side note: there is a clear distinction between the
Father's
Throne and Christ's Throne. It appears that Christ's Throne is
preeminent
from his resurrection until all things (including death) are "put under
His feet" - 1
Corinthians 15:20-28. At that time, then even Christ and His Throne
(and us) will be subject completely to God (as we are now, too).
Lastly, all 'overcomer' promises (see formats
of church letters) show up again in the heavenly throne era. This
proves
that John's visions were organized and complete. Here are the seven
overcomer
promises again.
22He who has
an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
He who has an EAR, let him HEAR what the SPIRIT says to the
churches."
This phrase must be important to have been repeated SEVEN times.
WE MUST HEAR!!!!
The word "churches" is not used again until Revelation
22:16 where John is reminded that this 'book', Revelation as we
call
it, is to be to the "churches". Everything from now on during the
Judgments
is pronounced upon an earth without "churches". This leads many
scholars
to believe the active, alive, Spirit-filled church is not present on
the
earth during this time of Judgment.