Overcomers Pt 5 Sardis: The church that died

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dead, name, overcomers, sardis, servant, white

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.

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.

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.

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.

Rev 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.

Rev 3:6  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

This is perhaps the saddest letter John ever wrote.  Jesus tells them He knows their works and that they “have a name” and live and are dead.  Now no other church has a “name”, in fact having a name may be seen as being OF the world.  But it is the next statement that is perplexing.  That you live and are dead, is an oxymoron.   But the Key to it is found in the next sentence.  Jesus has not found their works Perfect, before God, and what is remaining, needs strengthening because they are perishing as Body of Believers.  Moreover He tells them to remember HOW they received and heard and hold fast to it and repent.  How did the Believers receive?  They received by the Holy Spirit who had apparently been quieted or quenched or just not paid heed to.  Moreover the Apostles teaching was a means to “hear”, so this church has “something else” going on.  They were also not “watching” for His return, so comes the warning that was given in the Gospels.  Seeing as by this time the other Gospels including perhaps that of the John the Beloved’s were in circulation and the teachings of James Peter and Paul were more widely around, the warnings of Jesus to the servants would have been known to this church.

Mat 24:45  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

Mat 24:46  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

Mat 24:47  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

Mat 24:48  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

Mat 24:49  And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

Mat 24:50  The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

Mat 24:51  And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

You see when Jesus talks about knowing the works and that they are not perfect before God He is alluding to their service to Him.  It is a sort of “weighed, weighed, found wanting” deal.   But you see this was an attitude that this church’s heart had and it killed them.  But there is always mercy given.  If they strengthened what remained and watched they might be alright.  Also, there is always a remnant.  There were those who had not “sullied” themselves but were diligent.   These walk in white.  The reward, the only reward is to walk in white and not have their names blotted out of the Book of Life. They are also confessed before the Father.  Now here is the thing.  The lesson of this church is that to live we must be diligent in watching and obedient in our lives to God as His servants.

The Revelation here is simple, Jesus Lord of the Church.  These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars;.

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Judgment Day

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book, judge, LAMB, law, throne, virtue, white, yom kippur

Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.

In Jewish tradition, at Yom Kippur they tend to say “may your name be written in the Book of Life”; we know this to be the LAMB’s Book of Life. But there are other books opened.  In the next verse we find that somehow every person who is now produced to stand before this Great White Throne is being judged according to “THEIR WORKS” and in the fifteenth verse the deciding factor of their judgment was whether or not they were found in the “book of life”.  In some Jewish tradition they talk about the book of deeds.  It is said that on Yom Kippur each year that the books are opened and it is decided who lives and who dies and who prospers and who does not. The other Book by virtue of a need for a Standard of Law would be the book of the Law.  By these two books perhaps does a soul get judged, and is weighed and found wanting for as James will tell us, if in any point of the Law we fail to live up to it and comply with it then we are guilty of the whole law. (Jas 2:10  For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all. )  Here are a few more facts that argue for the Book of the Law being used to compare to the Book that may well record all the deeds of men.

Rom 2:12  For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without the law: and as many as have sinned under the law shall be judged by the law;

Now look at this; this one statement covers the Jew who is NOT IN CHRIST and the Gentile as well.  The Law of Moses judges the Jew and the Deeds of the Gentile either stack up to Christ or … they are found … wanting.

Rom 3:20  because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin.

Justification is the key for without being able to be justified before God as Judge Eternal there is no entrance into The Kingdom and realize this that there are no Christians here….at least there are none whose names were recorded in the Lamb’s book of life.  In Justification you are made Not Guilty, which puts you in “right standing” before God and grants you access into the Kingdom.  But since by the Law or Deeds no one can be “justified” these have no chance.  You see dear reader there is no deed, no action or sacrifice or ceremonial thing that will replace being recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life which means saved by grace through faith and that not of yourselves.  This Justification is Salvation and that as a free gift. Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Just as in the other judgment previously the wages of their being in Christ were paid, now here for these the wage is being paid.

One more book is actually recorded in Scripture.  A book of Remembrance.

Mal 3:16 Then they that feared Jehovah spake one with another; and Jehovah hearkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared Jehovah, and that thought upon his name.

This was in connection with a rebuke of Malachi the Prophet against the Israelites. Now the actual book may still be used or was only used on this occasion. However what this does tell us is that God listens in on and considers every word of our mouths.  Jesus confirms the thought of God listening on and weighing out our conversations.

Mat 12:32 And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come.
Mat 12:33 Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by its fruit.
Mat 12:34 Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Mat 12:35 The good man out of his good treasure bringeth forth good things: and the evil man out of his evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
Mat 12:36 And I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
Mat 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Now some folks say they will have some explaining to do before God when they get there but the reality is that the explanations and adjustments were to come in our lives in flesh un-glorified here on Earth BEFORE death.  It appears that Eternity is a fixed aspect.  There will be no explaining or reasoning with the MIND of God.

So then its not just what we did or didn’t do with Jesus but also what we said.

The Showdown

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armies, beast, Christ, dragon, eternal, fire, God, king, priest, second death, white

Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Rev 19:12  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

Rev 19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Here you go.  This is the Revelation, this whole book has been penned to house.  In the very first chapter of Revelation we saw this personage.  Rev 1:12  And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

Rev 1:13  And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

Rev 1:14  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

Rev 1:15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

Rev 1:16  And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

Compare that to the figure mounted astride and riding forth.  In the first chapter there is the garment and wrapped around the “breast” or pectoral area, I suppose, would be the golden girdle or sash.  Don’t forget this is not just a king but He is also HIGH PRIEST.  Here nineteen chapters and much drama later, He is clothed in a garment “dipped in blood”.  Stop right there.  When we think dipped what do we think?  KitKat bars have this running drama in advertisements about the two factories and that one DIPS and the other CLOAKS and its two entirely different processes?  Either way the cookie wafer portion is COVERED in chocolate.  But what does the Greek think about “dipped”? Well this is surprising.

Strongs # 911 baptō. A primary verb; to whelm, that is, cover wholly with a fluid; in the New Testament only in a qualified or specific sense, that is, (literally) to moisten (a part of one’s person), or (by implication) to stain (as with dye): – dip.

To cover completely to stain…where have we heard this before?  Isaiah 63:1-6.  Isa 63:1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.

Isa 63:2  Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winevat?

Isa 63:3  I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the peoples there was no man with me: yea, I trod them in mine anger, and trampled them in my wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my raiment.

Isa 63:4  For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.

Isa 63:5  And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my wrath, it upheld me.

Isa 63:6  And I trod down the peoples in mine anger, and made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.

This concept of “sprinkling” or “staining”, is best illustrated with those who tread grapes. If you have ever looked at grape “dancers”, they are whatever color the vintage is from like the knees down at least and grape juice is the sort of thing that is hard to wash out of garments and off of skin.  People who do this for a living really stand out in a crowd.  But this grape juice is the life blood of Christ’s enemies.    This is the person astride the horse.  It means He is the warrior who HAS CONQUERED.

Rev 19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

Now look at the entourage by comparison.  Clean white bright raiment on white horses… the pure victorious army or “Host”.  It is an army but the only one who is looking like He’s seen battle is Their King.  It’s the oddest military act ever!

I am going to go out on a limb here and I may have a valid point and I may not.  We know from Paul’s writings that the remnant remaining at His coming are caught up to meet Him in the air and forever to be with Him. Moreover the raiment of the “bride” is the righteousness of saints, or rather, is Christ who is the righteousness of the saints.  Are we not instructed to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ”? I put that this army may very well be… us.  We the Body of Believers are also called the Bride who has made herself ready.  I am reminded of the concept of first the blade then the ear then the corn in the ear (Mk 4:28), or as John the Apostle put it children young men and fathers (1Jn 2:13).  Paul made mention that we to at some point become “a mature man to the measure of the stature of Christ”, for these reasons I suggest that we are the ARMY OF WITNESSES to the Mighty Deed about to be done.  For if you have been following along you will note that many of the white robed are already IN HEAVEN because they were Martyred Up. Think about it.

Rev 19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

In the first chapter of Revelation we see mention of the sharp sword that goes out of the mouth, and that is also the description of the Word of God. (Heb 4:12  For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.) (Isa 55:11  so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.)  In the case of Revelation this verse certainly applies; (Isa 11:4)  “but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.”

Consider this from God’s angle, whoever is on the opposing side out in that field of battle IS HIS ENEMY AND WICKED.

Rev 19:16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

This stained raiment of the Warrior who has conquered and on His thigh is a title that world rulers use.  King of kings and Lord of lords is the title given to the suzerain who has conquered the known world of his day. In this time of this kind of title you would have many people groups with headmen over them as leaders and those leaders might establish dynastic rule and bear an emblem or artifact that marked them out as a “king”. But if another comes and begins to absorb these little kingdoms and bring them “under one banner” whilst leaving them culturally intact with their “headman” or “king”, but owing fealty and homage and tribute to the one absorbing them under his banner, that man is said to be “King of kings”. Jesus is setting down His opposition and will rule ALL THE WORLD or the planet for one thousand years.  I think this eminently qualifies Him to bear THAT title by Earthly standards.

Rev 19:17  And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

Rev 19:18  That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

Rev 19:19  And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

Here is the prophecy of this event. Eze 39:17  And thou, son of man, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Speak unto the birds of every sort, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and drink blood.

Eze 39:18  Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.

Eze 39:19  And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.

Eze 39:20  And ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord Jehovah.

This really isn’t much of a battle.  He has the two trouble makers the Beast and the False Prophet… this is the first time we have a name for the second beast and how do I know this?  The words “that wrought miracles before him” stand out.  If you will recall,” Rev 13:11  And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like unto a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

Rev 13:12  And he exerciseth all the authority of the first beast in his sight. And he maketh the earth and them dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose death-stroke was healed.

Rev 13:13  And he doeth great signs, that he should even make fire to come down out of heaven upon the earth in the sight of men.

Rev 13:14  And he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs which it was given him to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who hath the stroke of the sword and lived.

Rev 13:15  And it was given unto him to give breath to it, even to the image to the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as should not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Rev 13:16  And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand, or upon their forehead;

Rev 13:17  and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save he that hath the mark, even the name of the beast or the number of his name.

This we now see is called the False Prophet.  A prophet, any prophet is speaking for a deity.  Muhammad is considered the “prophet of God”, the God of the Muslims. Now, it is said that the God of the Muslim is not actually the God of the Old Testament, but I am not arguing that point.  A prophet is the spokesman for a god.  This god is false so his prophet is false also.  Now we understand who is who.

Rev 19:20  And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Rev 19:21  And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

In classic battle theory, if you can strike down the head of the army that is opposing you, they will scatter and be demoralized before you.  Jesus, ever the consummate at whatever He does, takes out and casts into the lake the leadership which was influencing the opposition.  He then SPEAKS and they are slain.

But just as you have Father Son and Holy Spirit you also have Beast of the sea, Beast of the land and … The Dragon. The two beasts have served their part and are immediately cast into their eternal punishment. But you would think the Dragon would be joining them, but he’s not. Take a look at the next few verses.

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.

Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,

Rev 20:3  and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished: after this he must be loosed for a little time.

Now you see Jesus came and won the day and all the associated prophecies have been by now fulfilled. But this is one of two confrontations with the Dragon or should I say one of THREE.  You see when on Earth Jesus faced off with the Dragon while in flesh, in the wilderness. (Matt 4:1-11, Lk 4:2-13) Now the Dragon is bound over to be released in one thousand years to deceive a whole new set of people, or to test the loyalties of the end generation of that era.

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped not the beast, neither his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Here is what we call the inheritance reception as it were. The souls… of those beheaded for the testimony and those who neither worshipped the beast nor bore the mark.  Now stop right there.  Anyone telling you that the bearing of the mark and worship of the beast are separate needs to read this verse, it is that they worshipped not, AND had NO MARK.  Both these camps the dead who raised up and the living who remained are found here.  Somewhere along the line whatever the rapture is, has taken place.

Rev 20:5  The rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years should be finished. This is the first resurrection.

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: over these the second death hath no power; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 

These are the Priest Kings of whom Jesus is the High Priest and King of kings over. Can you begin to get a picture of who we are and what we will do?  Consider that there is power in the second death.  For we have been told only to fear the One who can kill both body and soul…

Mat 10:28  And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.