Revelation Chapter 3
John's Letters to the Churches in
Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea

Sardis' complaceny, compromise, Philadelphia's patient enduring faith, Laodicea's lukewarm faith and spiritual blindness found in Revelation chapter 3

Sardis was the capital of Lydia in ancient times. The archaelogical remnants of Sardis are found in the modern city of Sart, Turkey, Asia Minor. Sardis was built along the Hermus river valley, a fertile plain in southwestern Asian Minor, now, Turkey. The city was built on a high, steep acropolis jutting out from Mount Tmolus. Sardis was blessed by an abundance of gold in the Pactolus River, significantly contributing to the wealth and power of the Lydian Empire in ancient times.

Sardis was founded circa 1,400 B.C. and populated until approximately 1,400 A.D. Princeton University first excavated the ruins of Sardis from 1910 to 1914. George Hanfmann dug the sites from 1958 - 1976. Nicholas Cahill, of the University of Wisconsin, has worked the Sardis ruins since 1979.

Alexander the Great captured Sardis from the Persians in 334 B.C. Rome annexed Sardis in 133 B.C. The Jews living there were very influential. Julius Caesar and Agustus granted them special rights; tax collections for the Jews in Jerusalem, have a synagogue, keep the Sabbath, eat "ancestral" (kosher) foods and were excused from compulsory worship of idols and the Imperial Cult. Revelation chapter 3 speaks of the compromise and complacency of believers in the Sardis church, of the encroaching influence of the Roman government on the church in Sardis.

Sardis was mostly destroyed by an earthquake in A.D. 17. Emperor Tiberius gave Sardis a five year lifting of taxes to Rome and personally gave a donation of 10 Million Sestertii, about 2.5 million Denarii. Residents of the damaged city virtually leveled the old city to rebuild. 

Sardis had a stadium and many theaters, one carved into the acropolis and seated 15,000. The most visible remnants of Sardis are a massive bath, gymnasium, ruins of a large two story building with marble columns, heated bathhouse and a large cold water pool. Inscriptions on plaques of those ruins say the the building was dedicated in A.D. 211 or 212.

When the Roman Empire moved to Constaninople in the 4th century A.D., Sardis began to decline. The city did retain its influence in church government through the 11th century.

Sardis became the front lines of the battles between Constantinople and Muslim armies. In A.D. 1,306 the city was handed over to Turkish warlords as part of a treaty between Constantinople and the Muslim armies.

The Ottoman Empire took control of Sardis in A.D. 1,390 and the city was destroyed by the Mongol general Timur in A.D. 1,420. From that time until the Turkish War of Independence in A.D. 1,919- 1,922, the area was populated only by small farms.

Revelation Chapter 3
Letter to the church in Sardis

Verse 1, The seven spirits symbolize God the Holy Spirit and the seven stars symbolize the true, spiritual condition of the seven churches. The Sardis church was well known and favored by the Roman government and the citizens of Sardis. They outwardly seemed alive and well, but spiritually, they were dead.

Verses 2-3, The church in Sardis is in a deep spiritual coma, approaching death, but not beyond Christ's warning and summons to wake up, to strengthen what is about to die, to remember and keep the message of grace that the church had received and heard. Also to pursue the holiness that flows from grace.

Jesus' second coming will come as a surprise, like a thief in the night, and believers in Sardis must remain vigilant and alert to the enemy's subtle attacks on their faith.

Verses 4-5, hope for a revival rest on the fact that a few names, vigilant and unstained believers, still are in the congregation of Sardis. Jesus promises them the conquer's reward, communion with Himself and the white garments signifying their name is secure in the Book of Life.

Verse 6, Jesus' encouragement to believer's whose hearts are inclined to act upon His warnings.

Revelation Chapter 3
Letter to the Church in Philadelphia

Revelation 3:7-13 ESV 

To the Church in Philadelphia

7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. 8 “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Verse 7, Jesus, Himself, holds the key of David, meaning that His authority to admit to or exclude from God's kingdom cannot be reversed.

Verse 8, the open door, symbolizes Jesus' admission of them into the kingdom of God, heaven. These believers in the Sardis sanctuary were excluded by the synagogue, but would become pillars in God's temple

Verse 9, members of the synagogue of Satan claim they are Jews, but don't believe in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, God the son. Only those who believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, God the Son, are true Jews and descendants of Abraham.

Verses 10-11, believers in the Sardis church, who patiently endured during their physical life, will escape the wrath of the second coming of Jesus Christ, at the final judgment of the entire world. Encouragement to hold fast to their enduring faith to the end.

Verse 12, those unbelieving Jews who excluded the believers from the sysagogue, will be put to shame when the conquering believers will be made pillars in God's temple in the New Jerusalem.

Verse 13, a repetition to the encourage from Jesus from those meek believers, whose hearts are ready to recieve and act upon Christ's warnings.

Revelation Chapter 3
Letter to the church in Laodicea

Verse 14-16, the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation, is Jesus Christ, who sees the true heart of the Laodicean believers. There are no works to commend. Their faith is neither hot nor cold, but merely lukewarm, which is no saving faith at all. Therefore, Jesus will spit them out of His mouth.

Verse 17, the self-examination of the Laodicean church reveals their belief that they are rich, prosporous and in need of nothing.

Verses 18-19, Jesus warns them to believe and trust in Him for forgiveness of sin, and to avail themselves of his power to open their spiritual eyes so they might believe and see the truth and glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Jesus warns them to repent and be zealous for Himself.

Verse 20-21, Jesus is knocking on the door to their spiritual eyes and heart, he is opening their eyes and ears so they might receive forgiveness for their sins.

All who believe and patiently endure to the end will be conquerers, and granted to rule alongside God and Christ in the New Jerusalem.

Verse 22, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the New Jerusalem!

These are the letters to the church in Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea in Revelation Chapter 3.