Sardis (modern Sart) stood about 33 miles southeast of Thyatira on a major highway that led all the way to Susa in Mesopotamia.136It had been the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia. It was famous for its military history, jewelry, dye, and textiles. Due to its situation on a steep hill many people thought the city was impregnable. However Cyrus the Persian had captured it about 549 B.C. by following a secret path up a cliff. Antiochus invaded the city in the same way about 218 B.C.
"The dominant religion of the city . . . appears to be that of the general Anatolian religious forms: a worship of the forces of nature, which were viewed as subject to death but also as having the power of self-reproduction."137
The Lord presented Himself to this congregation as the all-wise God. The "seven Spirits"probably refer to the seven principle angels of God (cf. 1:4). The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches (1:20). Christ also reminded the readers of His lordship over the churches (the "seven stars,"1:20; 2:1).
