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The Apocalypse

or

"The Day of the Lord"

The People on the Earth
(Chaps. 2 - 3)

5.  THE FIFTH EPISTLE
SARDIS
(3:1-6)

In this Epistle the Old Testament reference is to the period of Israel's removal from the Land.  Where, as the separate kingdom of the Ten Tribes, her name is practically blotted out, as applied to the Ten Tribes.

In Deut. 29 God declares of those who shall turn away from Him "to go and serve the gods of these nations" (5:18), that He will "blot out his name from under heaven (5:20).

This was fulfilled first in the case of the Ten-Tribed Kingdom of Israel. It was Jeroboam who first "made Israel to sin." He is known by this periphrasis. This is his special mark by which he was best known. In forming the Ten-Tribed Kingdom he was at once cut off from Jerusalem and the worship which God had established there. Religion of some kind must be the basis of government, so Jeroboam made his own religion: and in a yet future day the Beast will have his own universal religion; as we shall see.

A similar warning, therefore, and a similar teaching, will be needed by those who shall be living on the earth in the days of which the Apocalypse treats.

Hence we have in the epistle the reference to Israel's removal from the Land:—

3:1.  And unto the Angel of the Assembly in Sardis write; These things saith He that hath the seven spirits of God]   We submit that the Holy Spirit, as co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son, could not be properly spoken of as a possession of Christ; and placed on the same footing as the seven stars, "which are the angels of the seven assemblies."

and the seven stars]   These are the angels of the seven assemblies, and are spoken of as belonging to Christ (equally with the seven spirits) to cast down, punish, remove or exalt as He will.  In chap. 5:6 we read that "a Lamb stood as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God."  Indeed, these seven angels of the assemblies on earth, and the seven angels (or spirits, see under 1:4, and compare in Heb. 1:7) in heaven are connected together in the clearest possible manner.  When we read in this book of "the seven angels which stood before God" (8:2), and of the "seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are (or represent) the seven spirits of God," what are we to understand beyond this?  Why are we to say that they are not what it is here said they are, and explain them as being something else?  When Christ speaks of "having" these, it does not mean having them in possession as attributes, but having them in His power for use, disposal and command.

I know thy works, that thou hast a name, that thou livest, and art dead]    How can such language as this be addressed to those who are in Christ today:   they have "no name to live."  They do live "in Christ."  Their standing is not in works; neither can it in any sense be said of them "and art dead."  On the contrary, they were once "dead in trespasses and sins," but they died in Christ, and are now risen in Him, and stand on resurrection ground before God in all the perfection of that standing which He has given them in Christ.  No one who knows anything of the teaching of the Church or Pauline Epistles, could ever think of sacrificing that wondrous standing for the sake of a false and traditional principle of interpretation.

2. Be (lit., become) watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, that were* about to die: for I have not found thy works fulfilled]   or performed.

* G.L.T.Tr.A. WH. and RV., have "were" instead of "are."

The watchfulness required here is that of Luke 21:34-36.   Mark 13:34-37.

before my* God]   Compare 1 Sam. 16:7.   Seven times does Christ in these Epistles speak of "my" in connection with His "Father" and His "God."

* G.L.T.Tr.A. WH. and RV. add "my" here.

3. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and keep it in mind, and repent]  What they heard we are told in Matt. 24:14.

If, therefore, thou shalt not watch, I will come* as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee]   This one passage settles, for ever, the fact that these words cannot possibly be addressed to the members of the Church of God who have "that blessed hope" of being caught up to meet the Lord in the air, or of being "called on high" as in Phil. 3:14.   We are plainly and expressly told (in 1 Thess. 5:2),

"yourselves know perfectly that 'the Day of the Lord' so cometh as a thief in the night.  For when they shall say 'Peace and Safety'; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, and they shall not escape.  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief." 

No language can be plainer than this, addressed to "the Church of the Thessalonians."  Either Rev. 3:3 refers to believers now, and we have a flat contradiction of I Thess. 5:4, or we must rightly divide the Word of truth, and say that I Thess. 5:4 is true of all the members of the Church of God; and that Rev. 3:3 is equally true of those who shall be in these Assemblies (whatever they may be) in "the day of the Lord."  That day will come "as a thief."   See Matt. 24:43.   Luke 12:39.   2 Pet. 3:10.    But it will come thus upon a world ("they" and "them") that looks not for Him.  The Church of God will be "called on high;" made like Christ's own glorious body (Phil. 3:14, 20, 21), and received up in Glory (1 Tim. 3:16) before the thief shall come, and before the day of the Lord shall be present (2 Thess. 2:2).  Hence we are exhorted not to be moved by reports that "the day of the Lord is now present" (R.V.).  If it were otherwise we have every need to be troubled, for our hope would then have been in vain.  Those who have not been caught away will indeed be troubled, for they will be in the Great Tribulation.  So determined, however, are many not to have this blessed hope, or even to allow others to have it, that they would rather hold that this "great and terrible day of the Lord" is our only "hope" and (!) thus be driven to interpret the "thief" of Christ coming as a friend to fetch us away as he steals precious jewels.  And this is done in the face of the opposite statement in I Thess. 5:4, that that day shall "not come as a thief" on the church; and in spite of the solemn warning to watch, so as not to suffer the thief to break into, or to break up the house (Matt. 24:43).  This thief is to be watched against:  but Christ is to be watched for!

* Omit "upon thee" G.L.T.Tr.A. WH. and RV.

4. Nevertheless thou hast a few names* in Sardis]    These names are evidently the distinguishing point in this Epistle, for we read in the next verse of names being not blotted out, and confessed.

* Omit "even," G.L.T.Tr.A. WH. and RV.

Which defiled not their garments]   This is language foreign to the Church of God.  It accords with a standing in the flesh as addressed to those who can wash their own robes (7:14) and establish a right to the tree of life (22:14), and make themselves ready (19:7).  But all this is "works" and not grace.  So is the promise,

and they shall walk with me in white: because they are worthy]    This promise is fulfilled in Rev. 19:7, 8, but there is nothing like it in nature or character promised to or hoped for by the church.  And as to worthiness, who of use can take that standing?  No; we are altogether unworthy in ourselves, but all-worthy in Christ.  But these are worthy because of their own merit.  The scene contemplated here is actually described in chap. 16:15, and 19:7-9.  The day of the Lord is a day when men will be treated according to their deeds (Rom. 2:5, 6).  Those who have not defiled their garments, and are unspotted from the flesh (Jude 5-8) are those who have not worshipped the Beast, or received his mark, or partaken of his idolatrous obscenities.

5. He that overcometh shall thus* be arrayed in white garments; and I will not blot out his name from the book of life]   How is it possible for a true believer in Christ to have his name blotted out?  The teaching of Rom. 8 as to our standing in Christ is the very opposite of this.   But both are true if "the word of truth" be rightly divided.  Dan. 12:1 prophesies of this "book of life," and Rev. 13:tells us that the time for its fulfilment shall have then come.

* So L.T.Tr. WH. and RV.

and I will confess his name in the presence of my Father, and in the presence of His angels].   Here is the association of Christ, the Father, and the angels as in chap. 1:4-5.  See notes above; and Matt. 16:27.  This promise, as we have seen, refers to the later scene in the life of David, when he confesses the names of his worthy ones, just before the glory of the kingdom is set up by Solomon (2 Sam. 23.).  Some of the names are "blotted out."  The others are confessed.  This is the scene alluded to here; and this is what is promised by the Lord in Matt. 10:32, Luke 12:8 and Mark 8:38.  These words refer, as the Lord Himself explains, to the time when He comes to send the sword upon the earth (Matt. 10:33-42).  To interpret this of the church of God, is to utterly destroy that standing which God has given his church in Christ.   There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ; and there can be no separation from the love of God in Christ.   This is clear from Rom. 8.

6. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying unto the Assemblies]   see above.

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