I
am not sure about anyone else but this study of the seven churches scares
me. I realize that we do not do the
things Jesus asked us to do in this day and time. If we are to be part of the heavenly
congregation, the episunagoge, the Pleiades, then we do have a responsibility
to do what Jesus says here on earth. Again
we should remember that Paul established the churches and wrote them letters to
help them manage the affairs of the congregation, then anywhere from 20 to 40
years later, Jesus wrote us to help us again manage the congregations. Somehow we haven’t taken Jesus’ words to
heart as much as Paul’s. This scares me
because we may one day find ourselves without excuse standing before the Lord
and recognizing we were not doing what we were supposed to. As with Thyatira, Sardis has some harsh
language about the dead and death. What
we will see is that there very well may be people who sit next to us every week
at church who are not saved. They may
attend church meetings but may never have confessed Jesus as their Lord or
believed that God raised him from the dead.
We live in a time where if we are saved, our works are judged for
rewards. But to those who are not saved,
their works are what they are judged by for eternity. Yikes! Are those you know written in the
Lambs Book?
Rev
3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he
that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that
thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
Again
to reiterate why we are looking at the seven churches, Jesus has the seven
stars, which are the seven angels of the seven churches. We are looking at this in reference to the
Pleiades and the episunagoge, the above congregation. The Pleiades along with the Hyades are two
star clusters residing in the constellation of Taurus. While the sheepfold is
portrayed in Ursa Major and Ursa Minor and the congregation in the Pleiades, we
are exploring what these two subjects should mean to us today. How we are to look as a sheepfold on earth,
and what we are to know as the future congregation in heaven.
Amos
5:8 Seek him that maketh the seven stars [strongs #3598] and Orion, and
turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with
night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the
face of the earth: The Lord is his name: KJV
OT:3598
Kiymah (kee-maw'); from the same as OT:3558; a cluster of stars, i.e. the
Pleiades: KJV - Pleiades, seven stars.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's
Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright ©
1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
(
For more indepth study see my previous
blogs The Congregation the Pleiades, Our
Hope Hidden in Christ, God Points Out Constellations to Us, What Do They Mean?,
and The Throne of God, the Firmament,
What Was Lucifer’s Plan.)
Jesus
tells the church that he knows their deeds and their last name and they are
living even though they are corpses.
That is a bad way to start a conversation. “Hi everyone I know what you do and who you
are and I know that you are living but you really are just corpses”. Is this
the church of the living dead; was there a zombie apocalypse? No, but obviously there is something they are
doing wrong here.
Rev
3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die:
for I have not found thy works perfect before God. (Read my God)
Strengthen NT:4741 sterizo
(stay-rid'-zo); from a presumed derivative of NT:2476 (like NT:4731); to set
fast, i.e. (literally) to turn resolutely in a certain direction, or
(figuratively) to confirm: KJV - fix, (e-) stablish, stedfastly set,
strengthen.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Which remain NT:3062 loipoy
(loy-poy'); masculine plural of a derivative of NT:3007; remaining ones: KJV -
other, which remain, remnant, residue, rest.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive
Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary.
Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible
Translators, Inc.)
NT:3007
leipo (li'-po); a primary verb; to leave, i.e. (intransitively or passively) to
fail or be absent: KJV - be destitute (wanting), lack.(Biblesoft's New
Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International
Bible Translators, Inc.)
Are ready NT:3195 mello
(mel'-lo); a strengthened form of NT:3199 (through the idea of expectation); to
attend, i.e. be about to be, do, or suffer something (of persons or things,
especially events; in the sense of purpose, duty, necessity, probability,
possibility, or hesitation): KJV - about, after that, be (almost), (that which
is, things, which was for) to come,
intend, was to (be), mean, mind, be at the point, (be) ready, return, shall (begin), (which, that) should
(after, afterwards, hereafter) tarry, which was for, will, would, be
yet.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded
Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and
International Bible Translators, Inc.)
To die NT:599 apothnesko
(ap-oth-nace'-ko); from NT:575 and NT:2348; to die off (literally or
figuratively): KJV - be dead, death, die, lie a-dying, be slain (X
with).(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Not NT:3756 ou (oo);
also (before a vowel) ouk (ook); and (before an aspirate) ouch (ookh); a
primary word; the absolute negative [compare NT:3361] adverb; no or not: KJV
- long, nay, neither, never, no (X man),
none, [can-] not, nothing, special, un ([-worthy]), when, without,
yet but. See also NT:3364, NT:3372.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's
Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright ©
1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Perfect NT:4137 pleroo
(play-ro'-o); from NT:4134; to make replete, i.e. (literally) to cram (a net),
level up (a hollow), or (figuratively) to furnish (or imbue, diffuse,
influence), satisfy, execute (an office), finish (a period or task), verify (or
coincide with a prediction), etc.:KJV - accomplish, after, (be) complete, end, expire, fill (up),
fulfil, (be, make) full (come), fully preach, perfect, supply.(Biblesoft's New
Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International
Bible Translators, Inc.)
Before NT:1799 enopion
(en-o'-pee-on); neuter of a compound of NT:1722 and a derivative of NT:3700; in
the face of (literally or figuratively):KJV - before, in the presence (sight)
of, to.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
My NT:3450 mou (moo);
the simpler form of NT:1700; of me: KJV - I, me, mine (own), my.(Biblesoft's
New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International
Bible Translators, Inc.)
Ouch,
this verse hurts. Jesus tells them to
intentionally turn to the destitute ones who are about to suffer death because
He has absolutely not found their deeds fully complete in the face of His
God. In other words their works do not
meet the requirements of God, as the NLT translates it. Jesus doesn’t expect perfection but he does
expect a certain level of works to be done for entering into the New City as we
shall see. This very clearly implies that there is an amount of deeds that are
to be done. Their deeds were not enough
in front of the face of God. There are
some who refuse to worship Jesus as Lord, and their works are not enough. There is an untranslated word here, strongs #
3450, me, mine, my. Jesus is measuring
deeds and theirs were unsatisfactory in the presence of His Father. This is not the position I want to be
in. They seem to be dying and they don’t
even realize it. Look at the ones who are dying and wake them up. Do we have
those in our churches who are not saved, who do nothing, who do not help or
serve, or give, or enable others? There
is a measure of deeds we should attain to.
And yet their problem may have been a bit bigger than simply lack of
works but they possibly lived like the world, doing the things of the world and
not living for God.
Rev
3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and
repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and
thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Thou shalt watch NT:1127 gregoreuo
(gray-gor-yoo'-o); from NT:1453; to keep awake, i.e. watch literally or
figuratively):KJV - be vigilant, wake, (be) watch (-ful).(Biblesoft's New
Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International
Bible Translators, Inc.)
Hold fast NT:5083 tereo
(tay-reh'-o); from teros (a watch; perhaps akin to NT:2334); to guard (from
loss or injury, properly, by keeping the eye upon; and thus differing from
NT:5442, which is properly to prevent escaping; and from NT:2892, which implies
a fortress or full military lines of apparatus), i.e. to note (a prophecy;
figuratively, to fulfil a command); by implication, to detain (in custody;
figuratively, to maintain); by extension, to withhold (for personal ends;
figuratively, to keep unmarried); by extension, to withhold (for personal ends;
figuratively, to keep unmarried):KJV - hold fast, keep (-er), (pre-, re-)
serve, watch.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Jesus
then says they should be reminded of what they have taken and heard, and guard
what they learned, and repent or change their thinking. If they don’t, Jesus will arrive as someone
who steals and they won’t be aware what time he will be over them. It sounds like they will be so immersed in
their worldliness that they will be unaware of Jesus returning in the clouds.
Remember how we established that there are three witnesses of Jesus returning
in the clouds in our first blog on this series, mentioned by John, the angels
via Luke, and Paul, all establishing Jesus’ return in the clouds. That the word upon, in the Greek epi,
is used, it is eluded to as Jesus will come at a precise time, over us. What is over us? On some days it is
clouds. Also what does a thief do? A
thief steals, but what will Jesus be stealing? I think a better question is who
is Jesus stealing? Jesus is going to come over us and take people. Remember harpazo
is snatching away, that would be what Jesus is saying to the churches who are
behaving a bit too worldly, ‘I’m coming and stealing away some of the people
whose works measure up and you will be asleep and not know when I appear’. On that day there will be great sorrow for
those who were not prepared.
Rev
3:4 Thou hast a few names [even] in Sardis which have not defiled their
garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
Have defiled NT:3435 moluno
(mol-oo'-no); probably from NT:3189; to soil (figuratively): KJV -
defile.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Garments NT:2440 himation
(him-at'-ee-on); neuter of a presumed derivative of ennumi (to put on); a dress
(inner or outer):KJV - apparel, cloke, clothes, garment, raiment, robe,
vesture.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
They shall walk NT:4043 peripateo
(per-ee-pat-eh'-o); from NT:4012 and NT:3961; to tread all around, i.e. walk at
large (especially as proof of ability); figuratively, to live, deport oneself,
follow (as a companion or votary):KJV - go, be occupied with, walk
(about).(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Worthy NT:514 axios
(ax'-ee-os); probably from NT:71; deserving, comparable or suitable (as if
drawing praise):KJV - due reward, meet, [un-] worthy.(Biblesoft's New
Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International
Bible Translators, Inc.)
Jesus
says there is a small or puny amount of people who have not soiled their
clothes, and they will tread all around, wearing white with Him because they are
deserving. I am not sure how small small is to the Lord, but the Lord was willing to save Lot and his
wife and two daughters out from the entire city. Is it possible that the number of people
spared from that church could be that small?
Those few will be able to travel around with Jesus wearing a clean white
garment.
5
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not
blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before
my Father, and before his angels.
Shall be clothed NT:4016 periballo
(per-ee-bal'-lo); from NT:4012 and NT:906; to throw all around, i.e. invest
(with a palisade or with clothing):KJV - array, cast about, clothe (-d me), put
on.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded
Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and
International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Raiment same as 2440 above
I will blot out NT:1813 exaleipho
(ex-al-i'-fo); from NT:1537 and NT:218; to smear out, i.e. obliterate (erase
tears, figuratively, pardon sin): KJV - blot out, wipe away.(Biblesoft's New
Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International
Bible Translators, Inc.)
Book NT:976 biblos
(bib'-los); properly, the inner bark of the papyrus plant, i.e. (by
implication) a sheet or scroll of writing:KJV - book.(Biblesoft's New
Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible
Translators, Inc.)
Life NT:2222 zoe
(dzo-ay'); from NT:2198; life (literally or figuratively):KJV - life (-time).
Compare NT:5590.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance
with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft,
Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
I will confess NT:3670 homologeo
(hom-ol-og-eh'-o); from a compound of the base of NT:3674 and NT:3056; to
assent, i.e. covenant, acknowledge: KJV - con- (pro-) fess, confession is made,
give thanks, promise.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and
Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006
Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Before 1799 same as above
Jesus
says the overcomer likewise (or like
the few in Sardis) will be dressed in white clothes and I won’t obliterate his
name out of the book of life but I will acknowledge his name in the face of my
Father and in the face of His angels. To
be announced in the face of the Father and the angels is a thing of honor. While the majority did not live for Jesus,
these few are announced as the ones who did.
6
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.KJV
This
is what Jesus is saying to the churches, not to the heathens who are not
in the churches. That is what we have to
realize here, there are some in the churches that are not in the book of life. What
is the Book of Life?
Phil
4:3And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured
with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers,
whose names are in the book of life KJV
Here
Paul implies that it is for fellowlabourers, those who are working for the
Lord. This is where some in the church
might be falling short so that their works do not measure up by
themselves. We may not be aware of this
but even today there are still religious organizations that do not teach that
we have to be born again to be saved. I
remember someone saying that their previous protestant church never taught that
we have to be born again and almost sent his entire family to hell. Wow.
Rev
13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not
written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.KJV
Jesus
says here that the people left on the earth whose names are not written in the
book of life, once the church is gone, will worship Him. It seems it would be
better to worship Him, Jesus, now and serve Him, so that we will get to walk
with him wearing white, rather than going through the tribulation and
worshiping Him at that time. Why be
stubborn?
Rev
17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the
bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall
wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of
the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.KJV
I
like the way the NLT translates this verse, ‘the people belong to the world’;
maybe they did not change their citizenship.
It is time to change our citizenship.
(See my previous blog Changing Your
Citizenship to the Kingdom of God).
Rev
17:8 The beast you saw was once alive but isn't now. And yet he will soon come
up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction. And the people who
belong to this world, whose names were not written in the Book of Life before
the world was made, will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had
died. Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale
Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights
reserved.
Rev
20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were
opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead
were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to
their works.KJV
As
we previously read this verse when reading about the second death, those who
are not written in the book of life are judged by the things they did according
to their works, which were all written down.
There is a way to escape that time period, which would first be to make
and confess Jesus as Lord of your life; then secondly, live for Him.
Rev
20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the
lake of fire.KJV
Well
that seems to say it all. Those not written in the book of life are judged according
to works, but as we saw with Sardis, those people’s works were not measuring
up. Jesus said that they were going to
die and they didn’t even know it. They
never left the world for the kingdom of God which Jesus preached.
Rev
21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither
whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in
the Lamb's book of life.KJV
The
only ones who enter into the new and holy city Jerusalem are those written in
the Lamb’s book of life. That again
speaks for itself. Are the people in our
churches written in the Lamb’s book of Life?
Are we?
Rev
22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this
prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the
holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.KJV
This
is also self explanatory. The book of
life is nothing to take lightly. If you
are written in it you are well off. If
you are not written in it you are in trouble. I think it would be better to
confess Jesus as Lord now, live by faith, and have my works tried by fire for
rewards, rather than find out later that my works do not measure up. Let’s consider these passages.
John
3:14-21 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the
Son of man be lifted up:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have eternal life.16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the
world; but that the world through him might be saved.18 He that believeth on
him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because
he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.19 And this is
the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness
rather than light, because their deeds were evil.20 For every one that doeth
evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be
reproved.21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be
made manifest, that they are wrought in God. KJV
Rom
10:9-13 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved.10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the
mouth confession is made unto salvation.11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever
believeth on him shall not be ashamed.12 For there is no difference between the
Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon
him.13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.KJV
End
Notes:
SARDIS [SARR dis] — the capital city of Lydia in the
province of Asia, in western Asia Minor (modern Turkey). The church at Sardis
was one of the seven churches mentioned by John in the Book of Revelation (Rev
3:1-6).
Sardis
was situated on the east bank of the Pactolus River about 80 kilometers (50
miles) east of Smyrna; it occupied a rocky spur of Mount Tmolus and a valley at
the foot of this mountain. In ancient times Sardis was well fortified and
easily defended. It became the capital of the ancient Lydian empire, then
passed successively to the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans during their
respective dominance of the ancient world.
During
its days as a Roman city, Sardis became an important Christian center. However,
the church at Sardis was evidently affected by the complacency of the city and
its reliance on past glory: "You have a name that you are alive, but you
are dead" (Rev 3:1). Sardis, the dead church, was like "whitewashed
tombs which...appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's
bones" (Matt 23:27). Its thriving, healthy appearance masked an inner
decay.
The
most impressive building of ancient Sardis must have been its magnificent
Temple of Artemis, built in the fourth
century B.C. The temple was 100 meters (327 feet) long and 50 meters (163 feet)
wide and had 78 Ionic columns, each 17.7 meters (58 feet) high. Some of these
columns remain standing until this day.
(from
Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson
Publishers)
