Revelation Chapter 3 – A Verse-By Verse Bible Study

Revelation chapter 3 continues and concludes with the address of God to the seven churches of Asia.

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Revelation Chapter 3: Sardis ─ The Dead Church

Revelation 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. (KJV)

The time in history lasts from 1517 to 1685 A.D. From the beginning of the Reformation in 1517 until King Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes, which gave religious freedom to French Protestants, persecution of Bible-believing, non-Catholics spread throughout continental Europe. One of the few nations such Christians were safe was in England, which broke away from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534.

The church at Sardis had a name and was a church, but despite having members in that church, and claiming they were alive, God said they were dead. Their works did not impress God; God said this was a dead congregation. Christ introduced Himself to this church reminding them of some of the things He has, such as the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars that He had already said were angels. Since He has these things, He also has knowledge about this church’s works.

Revelation 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. (KJV)

As in all churches, there are some individuals who identify themselves with their church and who have favor with God. However, most of these people, and what they did in this church, did not impress God. That was why He said, “I have not found thy words perfect.”

Revelation 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. (KJV)

God instructed them to remember what they had been taught; He wanted them to “go back to the basics.” He wanted them to repent of their useless, dead works, and instead serve Him according to His way. The idea of “watching” here has the indication of being careful, even fearful of displeasing God by doing our own thing and offering God works that look religious but are not what God desires from His people.

Revelation 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. (KJV)

Within this church, God found a few faithful individuals, and those He praised. It was His desire that others in the church did not defile themselves with the world or corrupt doctrines.

Revelation 3:5

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. (KJV)

God promised the overcomer in this church that He would give them white raiment and would neither blot out their name from the Book of Life, but He Himself would proclaim their name before God the Father and His holy angels. The individuals in this church (or any church today) may have had their names in the church membership books, but that was no guarantee they had their names in God’s Book of Life.

 Revelation 3:6

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (KJV)

Again, Christ gave the admonition to listen to and consider what God said to these churches.

Revelation 3:7

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; (KJV)

Revelation Chapter 3: Philadelphia ─ The Open Door Church

From approximately from 1685 to 1881 A.D. this church era was one of great revivals in Christian nations including the Great Awakening. This time period was marked by soul winning, hymn writing, and Protestant church building.

God introduced Himself to this church as the One Who is holy, true, and Who coordinates circumstances in the form of open doors of opportunity. The actions of this church mirrored the Holy and True One since this is the second church that God does not have anything negative to say to these individuals.

Revelation 3:8

I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. (KJV)

As before, Christ reminded this church than He knew their works. The work of the individuals of this church was good. Christ knew this church had “a little strength,” He offered them an open door of opportunity, and He commended them that they keep His word. Not only did this mean that these individuals obeyed God’s Word, but it could also mean that they kept the Bible they used “intact,” they did not tamper with its words.  

Revelation 3:9

Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. (KJV)

Christ again references the “synagogue of Satan,” and the individuals in it. He promised to make those lying people worship before the people of the church of Philadelphia. In so doing, He would exalt those of Philadelphia publicly, showing His allegiance with them.

Revelation 3:10

Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. (KJV)

God gives a great promise that, since this church proved themselves faithful to Christ, He would protect these individuals from great trials. When Christ said he would keep this church from the “hour of temptation” this is believed by some Bible scholars to mean that he would keep the church from going through the Great Tribulation, a time of great wrath when the people of the world will make a permanent decision either to believe that Christ is king, or the Anti-Christ.

Revelation 3:11

Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. (KJV)

Christ promised this church He would come quickly. “Quick” in this context means alive, bodily, in flesh, and to be made manifest at his Second Coming. He instructs this church to continue to do what is good, “to hold fast,” to keep their heavenly rewards that they had already earned.

Revelation 3:12

Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. (KJV)

To the overcomer of this church, Jesus Christ promised to make that individual a pillar in God’s temple. The overcomer will have on him God’s Name, the name of New Jerusalem, and Christ’s new name.

Revelation 3:13

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (KJV)

Again, Jesus Christ instructs the reader to consider His words to the churches.

Revelation 3:14

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; (KJV)

Revelation Chapter 3: Laodicea ─ The Lukewarm Church

The church of Laodicea is the lukewarm church that inhabits this present-day world, which started in 1881 with the creation of the Revised Bible. This is the last church before the church age ends and is characterized by a lack of Gospel fervor, among other things.

Christ introduced Himself to this church as “the Amen.” The word “amen” means “true, certain, and faithful.” He also indicates that He was at the beginning of God’s creation. Not that He was a created being, but that He is the very source of creation. He does so to impress upon His listeners the gravity of what He is about to tell them.

Revelation 3:15

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. (KJV)

He sternly rebuked this church, telling them they are neither cold nor hot; they don’t have a fervor for Him. They are lukewarm, and He is not happy with this condition.

Revelation 3:16

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (KJV)

Because of their lukewarm attitude, He told this church that He will “spue,” or “spit” them out of His mouth. Lukewarm water is odious to the drinker.

Revelation 3:17

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: (KJV)

This church had great blessings of material wealth and was so comfortable with the physical world they were not concerned with eternal, spiritual things. But Christ saw them in a deplorable state, and He wanted to help them.

Revelation 3:18

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (KJV)

Christ gave this church good advice; He had the answer. Although He told them to “buy” from Him, a similar verse in Isaiah 55:1 is written where God says to buy, but “without money and without price.” Christ wanted these individuals to have gold, to be rich spiritually, to be clothed with white clothing, and to have clear spiritual vision instead of being spiritually blind.

Revelation 3:19

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. (KJV)

Christ tempered His sternness with His explanation that He loved them and wanted only the best for them. As before with the other churches, He urged them to repent as He did not want to bring judgement on them.  

Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (KJV)

With this church, Christ was on the outside, knocking, asking politely to be admitted inside. Christ will not force Himself upon a church or an individual, but He does desire to be welcomed into our hearts and into our church.  

Revelation 3:21

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (KJV)

To the overcomer in this church, Christ promised he would sit with Jesus Christ on His throne and be exalted like Jesus. This wonderful promise is something we cannot fully imagine its depth of the glory!

Revelation 3:22

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (KJV)

It is important to understand and consider these seven churches in Revelation, both in their historical and their spiritual context, applies to the present day. Not only are they part of God’s Word, but at the end of each church message, seven times total, God repeats the same phrase: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Everything God says is important, but when He repeats the same command seven times, He considers it to be vitally important, and so should we.

Sometimes, the promises to those who “overcome” is not only vague, but it doesn’t seem to be anything special to strive to obtain, or even to look forward to receiving. But reading God’s promises to those who will be overcomers is like trying to tell a baby in the womb how exciting it is to go to an amusement park. The baby does not have any inkling of life outside of the womb, where he is sheltered, protected, loved, and fed much less how exciting it is to go to an amusement park! The womb is all the baby knows.

Today we have no idea, we cannot imagine, the joys and delight of heaven. We are like the baby in the womb, unable to process something far greater than the life we know.

Revelation Chapter 3: Review Questions

1. Which church in this chapter didn’t Christ have anything negative to say to them? (Philadelphia)

2. Which church corresponds with the present day? (Laodicea)

3. What was the name of the “Dead Church?” (Sardis)

4. Which church needed eyesalve? (Laodicea)

5. What does God open and shut according to this chapter? (Doors of opportunity.)

6. Which two churches in this chapter did God urge to repent? (Laodicea and Sardis)

7. Which church was blessed with riches? (Laodicea)

8. God addressed His message to the churches to what specific entity? (The angel of each church.)

9. Which church period saw a time of great revivals? (Philadelphia)

Personal Reflection Question: In a time when spiritual lukewarmness is prevalent, what steps will you take so you will not be lukewarm like so many others?

Revelation Chapter 3: Behind the Scenes Stuff

I want to give a huge “Thank You” to my husband for helping me, especially with the historical timeline of these churches. I have been blessed with a husband who not only loves the Lord, but who also has a keen mind and memory for both history and dates.

One time, after I was cleaning up after my Sunday school students, my husband came into my classroom and was “doodling” on the white board. From memory, he wrote all of these churches with the dates of when each time period both stated and ended. Yes, that is how he “doodles.” I honestly don’t have even the churches in order memorized. And as for the dates? Forget it!

These dates are approximate, of course, because we don’t know exactly when in God’s mind each church period began and ended. Also, as time moved from one period to another, there was a bit of “overlap.”

But one thing my husband pointed out to me, and I will share with you here, is that the Philadelphia age, where the great revivals saw people coming to know the Lord used the King James Bible as their text. Today, with the many Bible versions available, and communication as never before, we find ourselves not in the God-honoring Philadelphia age, but rather, in the lukewarm Laodicean age. This is one of the reasons why I use and recommend the King James Version of the Bible. If that version of the Bible resulted in great revivals, it is good enough for me.

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