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Texts -- Revelation 3:5-22 (NET)

Context
3:5 The one who conquers will be dressed like them in white clothing , and I will never erase his name from the book of life , but will declare his name before my Father and before his angels . 3:6 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches .’
To the Church in Philadelphia
3:7 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write the following: “This is the solemn pronouncement of the Holy One , the True One , who holds the key of David , who opens doors no one can shut , and shuts doors no one can open : 3:8 ‘I know your deeds . (Look ! I have put in front of you an open door that no one can shut .) I know that you have little strength , but you have obeyed my word and have not denied my name . 3:9 Listen ! I am going to make those people from the synagogue of Satan – who say they are Jews yet are not , but are lying – Look , I will make them come and bow down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you . 3:10 Because you have kept my admonition to endure steadfastly , I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth . 3:11 I am coming soon . Hold on to what you have so that no one can take away your crown . 3:12 The one who conquers I will make a pillar in the temple of my God , and he will never depart from it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God ), and my new name as well. 3:13 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches .’
To the Church in Laodicea
3:14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write the following : “This is the solemn pronouncement of the Amen , the faithful and true witness , the originator of God’s creation : 3:15 ‘I know your deeds , that you are neither cold nor hot . I wish you were either cold or hot ! 3:16 So because you are lukewarm , and neither hot nor cold , I am going to vomit you out of my mouth ! 3:17 Because you say , “I am rich and have acquired great wealth , and need nothing ,” but do not realize that you are wretched , pitiful , poor , blind , and naked , 3:18 take my advice and buy gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich ! Buy from me white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness will not be exposed , and buy eye salve to put on your eyes so you can see ! 3:19 All those I love , I rebuke and discipline . So be earnest and repent ! 3:20 Listen ! I am standing at the door and knocking ! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into his home and share a meal with him , and he with me . 3:21 I will grant the one who conquers permission to sit with me on my throne , just as I too conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne . 3:22 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches .’”

Pericope

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Arts

Hymns

(Note: In "active" or "on" condition, the hymns music will be played automatically when mouse hover on a hymns title)
  • Ajaib Benar Anugerah [KJ.40] ( Amazing Grace )
  • Bila Sangkakala Menggegap [KJ.278]
  • Dari Kubur yang Kelam [KJ.190]
  • Di SalibMu 'Ku Sujud [KJ.361] ( I Am Coming to the Cross )
  • Hai Musafir, Mau ke Mana [KJ.269]
  • Kabar Yang Indah Benar [KJ.271]
  • Kota Sion, Kota Allah [KJ.262] ( Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken )
  • Mahkota Duri yang Kejam [KJ.219] ( The Head That Once Was Crowned )
  • Majulah, Majulah [KJ.253]
  • Meski Tak Layak Diriku [KJ.27]
  • O, Datanglah, Imanuel [KJ.81]
  • Pandang, ya Bapa dalam RahmatMu [KJ.304]
  • Pengikut Kristus, Nyanyilah [KJ.284]
  • Roh Kudus, Tetap Teguh [KJ.237]
  • T'lah Kutemukan Dasar Kuat [KJ.38]
  • Yang T'lah Menang [KJ.263]
  • Yerusalem, Mulia dan Kudus [KJ.261]
  • [Rev 3:5] Farewell I Gladly Bid Thee
  • [Rev 3:8] Today Thy Mercy Calls Me
  • [Rev 3:10] Hour By Hour
  • [Rev 3:10] In The Hour Of Trial
  • [Rev 3:11] He Cometh!
  • [Rev 3:11] He Cometh, Father, As He Came Of Old
  • [Rev 3:11] Let Someone Else
  • [Rev 3:11] Onward, Upward
  • [Rev 3:12] King Of The City Splendid
  • [Rev 3:12] O What Their Joy And Their Glory Must Be
  • [Rev 3:20] Behold, A Stranger At The Door!
  • [Rev 3:20] Behold Me Standing At The Door
  • [Rev 3:20] Come In, O Blessed One
  • [Rev 3:20] Come In, O Come!
  • [Rev 3:20] Come, Let Us Who In Christ Believe
  • [Rev 3:20] Father, Thou Art Calling
  • [Rev 3:20] God Calling Yet
  • [Rev 3:20] Have You Any Room For Jesus?
  • [Rev 3:20] If Any Man Hear
  • [Rev 3:20] Knocking, Knocking, Who Is There?
  • [Rev 3:20] Let Him Come In
  • [Rev 3:20] Let Him In
  • [Rev 3:20] Let Jesus Come Into Your Heart
  • [Rev 3:20] Master’s Call, The
  • [Rev 3:20] O Jesus, Thou Art Standing
  • [Rev 3:20] Only A Step
  • [Rev 3:20] Room For Jesus
  • [Rev 3:20] Seeking, Calling, Knocking
  • [Rev 3:20] Shall I Be Saved Tonight?
  • [Rev 3:20] Since Jesus Came Into My Heart
  • [Rev 3:20] Slighted Stranger, The
  • [Rev 3:20] Somebody’s Knocking At Your Door
  • [Rev 3:20] Who At My Door Is Standing?
  • [Rev 3:21] Ruler Of The Hosts Of Light
  • [Rev 3:21] Soldiers, Who Are Christ’s Below
  • [Rev 3:21] They That Overcome

Questions

Sermon Illustrations

Revelation 2-3; Frivolity; Thirty-one New Testament Descriptions of Sinful Mankind; The Uses of the Word; Premillennial View; The Word “Amen”

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The lighting of the lamps in the tabernacle symbolized the consecration of the Levites who were to represent the whole nation as lights to the world (vv. 1-4; cf. Isa. 42:6). The high priest was in charge of the lampstand (cf...
  • Zedekiah (Mattaniah) was Josiah's third son to rule over Judah. He rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar (v. 20) by making a treaty with Pharaoh Hophra (589-570 B.C.) under pressure from nationalists in Judah (cf. Jer. 37-38)."Clea...
  • 69:13-15 David wanted deliverance from a premature death and a word from the Lord that would enable him to know what to do.69:16-18 The king based his petition on the loyal love and compassion of God. He asked God to redeem h...
  • The English translators have rendered verse 4 as a quotation. Who is saying these words? Evidently these are the words of those who speak glorious things concerning Zion (v. 3). What are they saying? They appear to be ascribi...
  • Israel, however, had been a wayward flock in the past. This led the writer to warn the people to avoid the sins that had resulted in the wilderness wanderings. At Meribah (lit. strife; Exod. 17:1-7; Num. 20:2-13) and Massah (...
  • As in the first series of oracles, God's people occupy the fourth place in this second series, which points farther into the future, surrounded by the nations of the world. In the first series the Northern Kingdom was in view...
  • The preceding pericope recorded how the Lord preserved his prophet, and this one shows how He preserved the prophet's rescuer.39:15-16 Before his release from the stockade, the Lord told Jeremiah to give a message to Ebed-mel...
  • 13:8-9 The Lord told these false prophets that He opposed them for what they had done. He would act against them by removing them from positions of influence among His people, depriving them of the rights of citizenship in Is...
  • 27:1-3 The Lord instructed Ezekiel to write a lamentation over Tyre, though presently it was renowned for its seafaring and commercial leadership in the world. Tyre's neighboring kings sang the first dirge over Tyre's demise ...
  • 1:7 In view of the inevitability of coming judgment for idolatry, it was appropriate for the Judeans to be quiet before sovereign Yahweh (cf. Hab. 2:20)."This is a call to the people of Judah to cease every manner of oppositi...
  • Upon hearing the Lord's rebuke through His prophet, some of Malachi's hearers who genuinely feared the Lord got together. Evidently they discussed Malachi's message and agreed among themselves that they needed to repent. Yahw...
  • 16:18 "I say to you"(cf. 5:18, 20, 22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44; 8:10) may imply that Jesus would continue the revelation the Father had begun. However the phrase occurs elsewhere where that contrast is not in view. Undoubtedly it ...
  • Jesus proceeded to clarify the way of discipleship. In view of Jesus' death His disciples, as well as He, would have to die to self. However, they could rejoice in the assurance that the kingdom would come eventually. Glory w...
  • This event is the climax of the "identity of Jesus"motif in all the Synoptics. Here the disciples saw and heard who Jesus really was. Luke's particular emphasis was the sufferings of Jesus that were coming. This comes through...
  • Luke stressed the joy that the Seventy experienced because they participated in God's program. As we have noted before, Luke often referred to the joy that Jesus brought to people (cf. 1:14, 46; 24:52; et al.). In view of Jes...
  • Jesus balanced the need for humility and service with a promise of future reward. Though the Twelve are in view the implication of reward for other faithful disciples is strong. Jesus evidently repeated this promise in differ...
  • This is another of Luke's exquisite and unique stories. Various students of it have noted its similarity to the stories of the feeding of the 5,000 (9:10-17), the appearance in Jerusalem (vv. 36-49), and the Ethiopian eunuch ...
  • John began his Gospel by locating Jesus before the beginning of His ministry, before His virgin birth, and even before Creation. He identified Jesus as co-existent with God the Father and the Father's agent in providing creat...
  • 16:5 Jesus again pointed out that the revelation of His departure had made the disciples sad rather than happy. They had little interest in where He was going. What concerned them was the sorrow that His departure produced fo...
  • In this part of his speech Peter cited three proofs that Jesus was the Messiah: His miracles (v. 22), His resurrection (vv. 23-32), and His ascension (vv. 33-35). Verse 36 is a summary conclusion.2:22 Peter argued that God ha...
  • 19:8 Paul followed his standard procedure of preaching to the Jews in the synagogue at Ephesus as long as possible. Here the Jews were more tolerant than they had been in some other towns that Paul had evangelized, and he was...
  • "Nowhere else in Paul's writings do we find a more concise collection of ethical injunctions. In these five verses are thirteen exhortations ranging from love of Christians to hospitality for strangers. There are no finite ve...
  • 3:10 In the new illustration Paul laid the foundation of the church in Corinth by founding the church, and others added the walls and continued building on that foundation. Paul's special mission from God was to found churche...
  • 1:4-5 Paul's favorite appellation for the Thessalonians was "brothers."He used it 15 times in this epistle and seven times in 2 Thessalonians. It emphasizes the equality of Christians in the family of God, Jews and Gentiles. ...
  • In view of the imminency of Christ's return Paul exhorted the Thessalonians to be ready to prepare them to meet the Lord at any time."The former [paragraph, i.e., 4:13-18] offered instruction concerning the dead in Christ; th...
  • In this pericope Paul reminded Timothy of the apostasy that Jesus Christ had foretold to equip him to identify and to deal with it.143"The change that occurs at 4:1 following the hymn of victory, then, is not unexpected. Oppo...
  • To encourage Timothy further to endure hardship Paul cited a commonly accepted and used quotation that encouraged believers to remain faithful to their Christian profession (cf. 1 Tim. 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; Titus 3:8). It may have ...
  • "The comparison between Christ and Moses leads to one between their followers. The writer uses the conduct of the Israelites as a means of challenging his readers to a closer walk with God."109The writer next reminded his rea...
  • The writer returned again from exhortation to exposition. He now posed the alternatives of rest and peril that confronted the new people of God, Christians.127The writer warned his readers so they would not fail to enter into...
  • The writer now focused on the issue of sacrifice."The argument moves a stage further as the author turns specifically to what Christ has done. The sacrifices of the old covenant were ineffectual. But in strong contrast Christ...
  • These verses summarize what the writer said previously about irrevocable loss through disobedience, unbelief, apostasy, and contempt for New Covenant privileges. The fearful warning about Esau brings these earlier warnings to...
  • The writer proceeded to explain the superiority of the New Covenant by comparing it with the Old Covenant using the figure of two mountains: Sinai and Zion.12:18-21 These verses describe the giving of the Old Covenant at Mt. ...
  • This epistle does not contain the name of its writer, but from its very early history the church believed the Apostle John wrote it. Several ancient writers referred to this book as John's writing.1Though modern critics have ...
  • John reminded his readers of their spiritual blessings to motivate them to cultivate intimate fellowship with God."Because his readers are Christians and have in part experienced the power of their faith he moves them to nobl...
  • John concluded this epistle by synthesizing the major thoughts he had presented to reinforce and review them for his readers. "We know"many things as a result of what Jesus taught and what John taught.5:18 "We know"introduces...
  • The subject of the Book of Revelation is Jesus Christ (1:1). It is an unveiling ("revelation") of Him. What does this book reveal about Christ? The Book of Revelation is the unveiling of the person of Jesus Christ, the power ...
  • I. The preparation of the prophet ch. 1A. The prologue of the book 1:1-81. The preface 1:1-32. The address and doxology 1:4-63. The theme 1:7-8B. The commission of the prophet 1:9-201. The first commission to write 1:9-112. T...
  • "As is true of NT epistles in general, the address of Revelation contains three elements: the writer, the addressees, and the greeting."181:4 John sent this letter to the seven churches mentioned in chapters 2 and 3, which we...
  • These verses contain the first prophetic oracle of the book. The only other one in which God speaks is in 21:5-8.1:7 "Behold"(Gr. idou) indicates special divine intervention. This verse summarizes the main features of the rev...
  • 1:9 John now addressed the seven churches to which he sent this epistolary prophecy directly. He described himself to his readers as their brother in Christ and a partaker with them in three things. These were, first, the rel...
  • John turned to see the person who had given him his commission. These verses describe what he saw.1:12 When John turned to see the person who spoke to him he saw a majestic figure clothed in a long robe standing among seven l...
  • John's response to this revelation was similar to Daniel's response to the vision God gave him (cf. Dan. 10:7-9). Jesus then proceeded to give John more information about what He wanted him to do.1:17 This revelation of Jesus...
  • An invitation preceded the promise, as in all the letters to follow (cf. 1:3). Jesus was the only person to issue this invitation in Scripture. The Gospels also record Him doing so seven times (Matt. 11:15; 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9...
  • These persecuted Christians did not need to fear their adversaries or death since they would live forever with Jesus Christ. "Behold"signals an oracular declaration (cf. 2:22; 3:8, 9, 20).96The devil would incite their foes t...
  • The Pergamum Christians had held firmly to their commitment to Jesus Christ and their witness for Him even though they lived in one of Satan's strongholds."Antipas is said to have been a dentist and a physician, but the Aescu...
  • The prize for faithfulness was the privilege of reigning with Christ in His earthly kingdom (cf. 1:6; 12:5; 19:15; Ps. 2:8-9; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 20:4-6). As with the promises in the other letters, this one is probably for all ...
  • Jesus Christ held out blessings for the faithful few in the congregation to stimulate the rest to repent. White garments symbolic of one's works (19:8) are pure and free of defilement (cf. 7:9, 13; 19:14; Matt. 22:11-12). Sar...
  • Jesus Christ gave no rebuke to this church, as was true of the church in Smyrna. He gave the Christians five promises instead.1. Their Jewish antagonists would eventually have to acknowledge that the Christians were the true ...
  • Since Jesus Christ's return is imminent the believers should remain faithful to Him so their detractors would not rob them of the reward that would be theirs for steadfast perseverance (cf. 2 John 8). The familiar closing cha...
  • This church received no commendation, a fact that makes this letter unique compared to the other six.The deeds of the Laodicean Christians manifested their heart attitude. They were neither cold nor hot in their love for God,...
  • Since they considered themselves to be rich but were spiritually poor Jesus urged them to "buy,"implying self-sacrifice, the things they really needed (cf. Isa. 55:1). Instead of real gold they should buy "gold refined by fir...
  • In the context we note that God addressed well-known verse 20 to Christians."The first thing which a person mustget fixed in his mind when studying the message to the Church in Laodicea is the fact that the Spirit of God is a...
  • Chapters 4 and 5 prepared John, and they prepare the reader, for the outpouring of judgments on the earth that follow. They present the place from which these judgments originate and the Person from whom they come. Before rev...
  • "These things"refer to the revelation of the messages to the seven churches (chs. 2-3; cf. 1:19). After John had received these messages, he received a vision of heaven in which Jesus Christ invited him (cf. 1:10, 12-16) to e...
  • 4:2 As soon as John heard this invitation, he entered another ecstatic state (cf. 1:10). His body remained on the earth, but he saw a throne and someone sitting on it in heaven (cf. Ezek. 11:1, 5). "Throne"occurs 45 times in ...
  • 5:6 As with our dreams, John's vision contained some unusual features. John saw the Messiah as a Lamb.229The Lamb is a symbol of Jesus Christ at His first advent, meek and submissive to a sacrificial death as our substitute (...
  • 6:1 "I saw"marks the continuation of what John had seen that chapters 4 and 5 record, but also the commencement of revelation concerning future events on earth. Chapters 1-5 have introduced this revelation. John was an eyewit...
  • What happened next evidently took place in heaven.6:9 The altar John saw was evidently in heaven (cf. 8:3, 5; 14:18). Earlier John had seen a throneroom in heaven (chs. 4-5), but now he saw a temple. Probably the concepts of ...
  • There are a number of contrasts between the 144,000 and this great multitude. The number of the first group is not only smaller but definite whereas the number of the second group is larger and indefinite. People from the 12 ...
  • This verse is transitional (cf. 9:12). It refers to the end of the second woe (the sixth trumpet, 9:21) and ties this judgment in with the third woe (the seventh trumpet). It clarifies that God interjected the revelations of ...
  • 13:9 God and John called on the readers of this book to pay attention. Particularly those living at this time in the future should do so. Note that John made no reference to "the churches"as in similar exhortations in chapter...
  • The fact that separate and succeeding angels make these announcements stresses their importance and their sequential relationship. A second angel followed the first with the message that Babylon had fallen. This is another pr...
  • 14:9 A third angel followed the former two with a third message in this sequence warning the beast-worshippers of their judgment (cf. 13:11-17). The goal of this warning is to alert potential beast-worshippers to their doom, ...
  • The final three bowl judgments all have political consequences.16:12 The problem that this judgment poses for earth-dwellers is not a result of the judgment itself but its consequences, namely, war. It does not inflict a plag...
  • 18:4 Another voice from heaven instructed God's people to separate themselves from the system that the city symbolizes so they would avoid getting caught in her judgment. The being speaking is evidently an angel who speaks fo...
  • This pericope has strong ties to what precedes (16:17-18:24). It is the concluding revelation concerning the fall of Babylon, the latter-day Egypt and Tyre, and Antichrist, the ultimate Pharaoh of the Exodus and King of Tyre....
  • On the one hand, the return of Jesus Christ to the earth is the climax of all that has preceded. On the other, it is the first of seven final things that John saw and recorded. These things were Christ's return, Satan's captu...
  • 20:1 The first word, "And,"supports the idea of chronological sequence. It implies a continuation from what John just revealed (cf. 19:11, 17, 19; 20:4, 11, 12; 21:1, 2, 22). Amillennial interpreters disagree."John says nothi...
  • ". . . it is not difficult to see why the early church understood John to be teaching a millennium in Revelation 20. Three arguments support this interpretation: (1) the teaching of two resurrections, (2) the binding of Satan...
  • 20:11 This "And I saw"introduces something else John saw in this vision (cf. 19:11, 17, 19; 20:1, 4, 12; 21:1, 2). The continuation of chronological progression seems clear from the continued use of "And"to introduce new info...
  • The next scenes in John's visions proved to be of conditions that will exist after the Millennium. He recorded this insight to reveal the final home of believers. There are many allusions to Isaiah 60 and 65 and Ezekiel 40-48...
  • 21:2 In the same vision, John next saw a city descending out of heaven from God (cf. v. 10; 3:12; Heb. 11:13-16). It was holy in contrast to the former Jerusalem (cf. 11:8; Isa. 52:1; Matt. 4:5; 27:53). As the old Jerusalem w...
  • Essentially what John saw next was Paradise regained (cf. 2:7; Gen. 2; Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 12:2). Having viewed the splendor of the New Jerusalem he now saw what will nourish and enrich the lives of God's people there."Up to t...
  • 22:6 The angel who had been revealing the new creation to John, one of the angels who had the seven bowls (21:9), continued to speak to him.782He assured John that the things prophesied to happen soon (4:1-22:5), which John h...
  • 22:12 Jesus Christ repeated His promise to return soon (v. 7, cf. 1:3; 22:20)."Nowhere is a date set, nor was there any definite promise that the consummation would occur within the lifetime of the first century Christians. N...
  • Symbols Used in the Book of Revelation That the Book Itself Interprets1. The seven lampstands (1:12) are seven churches (1:20).2. The seven stars (1:16) are seven angels or messengers (1:20).3. The morning star (2:28; 22:16),...
  • Abbott-Smith, George. A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1950.Aldrich, Roy L. "The Divisions of the First Resurrection."Bibliotheca Sacra128:510 (April-June 1971):117-19.Alford, Henry. ...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • Exodus 32:1-8; 32:30-35It was not yet six weeks since the people had sworn, All that the Lord hath spoken will we do, and be obedient.' The blood of the covenant, sprinkled on them, was scarcely dry when they flung off allegi...
  • Their webs shall not become garments.'--Isaiah 59:6.I counsel thee to buy of me, white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.'--Rev. 3:18.THE force of these words of the proph...
  • "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. 3:5.The brightest examples...
  • "Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation."--Rev. 3:10.There are only two of the seven churches which receive no censure or rebuke from Jesus Christ; and of these two--...
  • "Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown."--Rev. 3:11.The Philadelphian Church, to which these stirring words are addressed, is the only church of the seven in which there was nothing that Christ rebuked. I...
  • "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 o...
  • "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot… be zealous therefore, and repent."--Rev. 3:15-19.We learn from Paul's Epistle to the Colossians that there was a very close connection between that Church and this a...
  • "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 ...
  • "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."--Rev. 3:20.Many of us are familiar, I dare say, with the devoutly imaginativ...
  • "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."--Rev. 3:21.The Church at Laodicea touched the lowest point of Christian character. It h...
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