revelation 3:10 commentary

It does not mean He would preserve them through it (the posttribulation position) or remove them during it (the midtribulation position). A Church which is so lethargic as to fail to produce a heresy is mentally dead; and a Church which is so negative as to fail to produce opposition is dead in its witness to Christ. Again, we can understand an angel employed a real angelic being as the means of communication between the Lord and His servant John; but it would be harsh to suppose that His servant John writes a letter from Christ to a literal angelic being. Warriors guard kings, and crowns, and thrones; but the living truth of the living God is infinitely more worthy of our watch. In each letter the Lord addresses "the angel." Old Testament prophecy dispensational truth is introduced now. I must be crushed out of existence before my convictions of the truth of the doctrines of grace in the old-fashioned form can ever be taken from me. This is the reason why they were golden. This was an excellent spirit, and, when sanctified by the grace of the gospel, would render them an excellent church, as indeed they were, for here is no one fault found with this church, and yet, doubtless, there were faults in it of common infirmity; but love covers such faults. There are seven Churches, yet in each of them the Spirit operates with all his presence and power. And have we not seen it ourselves? Men who deserve praise can bear it, and some of them even need it. The exact meaning of the words is to be noted. You shall be no kept that what will prove to be a time of temptation to so many, shall not endanger your salvation. It is the present imperative and means: "Keep on remembering; never allow yourself to forget." The duty itself: "Hold fast that which thou hast, that faith, that truth, that strength of grace, that zeal, that love to the brethren; thou hast been possessed of this excellent treasure, hold it fast." I do not the least doubt that those who are commonly called the Waldenses and Albigenses, and others perhaps of similar character, are referred to here. 4. You have been a receiver yourself until now, and that is well and good; but, now that you have become filled, overflow to others, and let them receive of your joy. The Jews lost their place to the Gentiles ( Romans 11:11). The A, B, Come and See Revelation A commentary on the Book of . He that overcomes should be clothed in white, for there were a few in Sardis who had not defiled their garments, and who should thus walk with Him in white; because they are worthy. When the Lord is seen in the vision of chapter 1, these are not the ways in which He is described at all "He that hath the key of David.". There is the most careful exclusion of His heavenly position from the relationships of the Lord Jesus that are here brought before us. Furthermore, the promise of Luke 21:17 is explanatory of what is meant here. The unwelcome visitation of a thief would be utterly incongruous if they were enjoying the sweet hope according to His own word, that He is coming for them quickly. We have met with instances where they wrote out part of the word of God, and hid it away in a wall; and afterwards, when the wall was pulled down, the priceless record was discovered and used. ], "In contrast to the fate of Eliakim [see comment on Revelation 3:7], who was like a peg that gave way, and the buildings that perished in Philadelphias earthquakes, the victor is assured that his place in the city which comes down out of heaven is eternally secured." How comes it, that for so many hundreds of years only a part of what the Fathers had laboured at sunk into the minds of men, a certain portion being rejected, as we know, by Protestantism; but now, when God brings out this fresh testimony, there rises a counter-testimony? What is still more in John the significant point, they lost all the truth of a real life given to us in Christ. The words of the Risen Christ arise directly from the prosperity and the skill in which Laodicea took so much pride and which had in the minds of its citizens, and even of its Church, eliminated the need for God. It seems to me to mean just this, "You have been faithful; therefore I will use you. It has two aspects of meaning. "He is the faithful witness, the first-begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth;" the last displayed when He comes from heaven to earth, as He stands in resurrection the first-begotten of the dead. He that receives it shall live, but without it there is no spiritual life. They meditated upon it; they sought to understand it; they took delight in everything which came from the mouth of God. "I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King" ( Isaiah 43:15). This has nothing to do with His presence for us; but after our own delight and thanksgiving have gone forth towards Jesus, the testimony to others most suitably follows the song of praise that had, I may say, involuntarily burst forth at His name. Secondly, Christ can discover this his favour to his people in such a manner that their very enemies shall see it, and be forced to acknowledge it. This would be in effect to deprive ourselves of the Apocalypse, instead of understanding and gathering its peculiar profit. It is not to make known what was in Christ before all worlds, but to disclose the great facts in which God was about to maintain the glory of the First-begotten, when He introduced Him into the world. Above all, if we have but little strength of any kind, let us keep God's word. A man comes, as Seneca had it, to hate his sins and to love them at the same rime. how loyally He accepts, and will not speak inconsistently with, the place of man to which He stooped. PHILADELPHIA--The church with opportunity. But those who loved the Lord showed their love then not so much by intelligence in His ways, as by unsparing and habitual self-denial. The address to Sardis also, although allusive to that of Ephesus, is nevertheless no less clearly meant to stand contrasted with it. By the power of God upon the hearts of his enemies, and by signal discoveries of his peculiar favour to his church: They shall know that I have loved thee. It is sad. Keep to the truth, and the modern school will give you a wide berth. But the utmost promised in the word that closes the epistle goes not beyond reigning with Him. As the King James Version has it, "I will come in and sup with him." We all know of what small account He was on earth; and so it is with Philadelphia. You are children of the light, therefore walk as children of the light." Toggle navigation SharedBookshelves. It is the crushed grape, and not the untouched, from which the costly liquor distils." It is a fact of life that certain things sharpen memory which has grown dull. It may have been some form of persecution, or it may have been some calamity by disease, earthquake, or famine that was to occur. We have intervention on every side. When he pleases, he shuts the door of opportunity and the door of utterance, and leaves obstinate sinners shut up in the hardness of their hearts; he shuts the door of church-fellowship against unbelievers and profane persons; and he shuts the door of heaven against the foolish virgins who have slept away their day of grace, and against the workers of iniquity, how vain and confident soever they may be. This promise recurs again and again in Isaiah. Laodicea was so proud of the garments it produced that it never realized it was naked in the sight of God. The hour of temptation A time of sore and peculiar trial which might have proved too much for their strength. (i) The faithful Christian will be a pillar in the Temple of God. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. (i) It prided itself on its financial wealth. Another instance of favour that Christ promises to this church is persevering grace in the most trying times (Revelation 3:10; Revelation 3:10), and this as the reward of their past fidelity. Assemblies that worship God in spirit and in truth are the Israel of God; assemblies that either worship false gods, or the true God in a false manner, are the synagogues of Satan: though they may profess to be the only people of God, their profession is a lie. You have a little strength.We are not very strong. Thus, besides what the apostle had in his ordinary relation with Christians, and his already lengthened tenure in the service of Christ, he receives now a new character of word and testimony. ", It often happens that, when a great earthquake comes, people meet it with courage and self-possession, but ever. This saying does two things. So, because you are tepid and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth. These were said to be the treasures of the church. If the Lord has rebuked you, then be thankful He loves you. It was the Christian belief that the Jewish nation had lost its place in the plan of God and that that place had passed to the Church. And though Catholics are miserably deluded, Protestants do not understand justification to this day. Believe it when circumstances seem to make it questionable; believe it when your own heart fails you; believe it when your sin and corruption rise within you like a fountain of foul waters: thus shall you give glory to the God of truth. When the signs come, the Christian will know that the last time is near, even at the doors ( Mark 13:29; Matthew 24:33). We know how many scholars have dared to insult the book in their folly, as I think we may say, with the justest rebuke of their offensive language. John 1:51; John 3:3; John 3:5; John 3:11). When, for instance, we return to a graveside, the sorrow from which the years have taken the edge grows piercingly poignant again. No other religion has the vision of a seeking God. It is a sweeping intimation of the very same way in which the Lord threatens to come on the world. The Romanists are in general too ignorant to know what is or is not in the Bible. The spiritual usage of seven in prophetic scripture cannot be questioned. He may call others. (a) He must have seen with his own eyes that of which he tells. The mind of man sends forth pure water and impure, and it is hard to discern between the two; but from the heart of God there wells up, undiluted and unmingled, a stream of living truth which is more for man's benefit than all else out of heaven. But the drift is plain enough where the conscience is not blunted. Sardis, The Faithful Few ( Revelation 3:1-6 Continued). Like all the letters it begins with a series of great titles of Jesus Christ. God therefore writes for our comfort, admonition, and general blessing in whatever way it may be wanted; He takes for granted that we are interested in whatever He has to say to us. The Book is our ultimatum. It is precisely the claim of the so-called church, the assumption of permanent infallibility the setting up to be a sort of inspired authority to enunciate doctrine, and to direct everything in the name of God. If we have but little strength, we mean to let the times and the spirits go where they like, we shall keep to the Holy Spirit and to his eternal teachings. Revelation 3:1. to be of no esteem in the world? When thus tried, they tried and found wanting those who set up to be apostles. (ii) It was a great centre of clothing manufacture. And then another part of the inscription is, [2.] Simultaneously with this of course there was the introduction of all kinds of compromise with the world. (ii) The one impossible attitude to Christianity is neutrality. At night with a band of brave men he climbed the steep cliffs. (1.) Under John's leadership, Grace Community Church's two morning worship services fill the 3,500-seat auditorium to capacity. Chillingworth said what ought to be true, though I am afraid that it is not "The Bible and the Bible alone is the religion of Protestants." At any rate, the great Head of the church did not think it unwise to say to the church at Philadelphia that he thought well of it because it had kept his word. In a very different form it is the topic of John everywhere: we may trace Him as going up to heaven, where Paul above all contemplated Him glorified; but John's task is ever to point to Christ in connection with what He was here below. Where was the labour of love? Revelation 2:9). Peter and James and John were the pillars of the early church in Jerusalem ( Galatians 2:9). "Faithful are the wounds of a friend" ( Proverbs 27:6). 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