(1) And unto the angel of the Church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of G_D, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. (2) Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before G_D. (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. (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. (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. (6) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches. Revelations (3:1–6)
Letter to Sardis Components
Image of Yeshua: He that has the seven Spirits of G_D and the seven stars
Positives: none
Negatives: Imperfect works, a name that livest but thou art dead Warning: remember that thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent; if not Messiah will come as a thief and thou won’t know when.
Extras: Thou hast a few undefiled even in Sardis that shall walk with Yeshua in white for they are worthy.
Reward: Clothed in white raiment and their name will remain in the book of life. Yeshua will confess their name to the Father before his angels.
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Letter to Sardis Commentary
When we look at the image of Yeshua within this Church message we see him as having the seven Spirits of G_D and the seven stars. As we have reviewed previously the seven Spirits of G_D are first indicative of G_D’s omnipotence and all seeing nature. In essence the watchful eye that is ever vigilant and sees all things! Secondly we know within the Spirit of G_D is: truth, learning and wisdom. Thirdly we know that persons who find the Spirit will find life. Regarding the seven stars we know this is a reference to the Church angels or messengers. The messengers in turn representing the Church of Messiah leadership or authorities!
Collectively when we view this full introduction in context we see Yeshua declaring to his Church he has seen, and continues to see, how his Church is performing in their duties of shepherding and tending to the needs of his flock. There is nothing which has escaped his watchful eye. Yeshua, in referencing the stars, is declaring throughout the ages he has provided: true counsel, guidance, knowledge and wisdom to his Church leadership in the form of the Church era messages within the Revelations.
It would seem Messiah is once again testifying on behalf of G_D and stating true knowledge and wisdom comes from G_D and through the Word of G_D. We must bear in mind Revelations 19:10 emphatically declares: “Yeshua is the spirit of prophecy.” In light of previous Church messages, and the continued coming to fruition of these prophetic events as foretold, it should seem apparent Messiah is exhorting his Church to look introspectively for truth and wisdom.
The reader should also recall the uncanny and remarkable exercise conducted earlier wherein the inverted acronym, (das abis), associated with the modern day cities of the seven Church communities relates directly to the Church receiving both doctrinal truths and prophecies within the Revelation.
As we see however from the completion of Revelation 3:1 the Church has apparently not listened to Messiah throughout the ages. We know this because Yeshua condemns his Church as claiming to be alive while actually being dead in Spirit.
In verses two and three Yeshua informs the Church their works are not acceptable. He implores the Church to remember all the things which were handed down that the Church had received. These things of course would consist of the entire corpus of Hebrew Scripture, both pre and post Messiah testaments. Yeshua warns the Church to repent and if they do not, then they will not be watchful or know when Yeshua will return.
Regarding the need to repent, it is quite clear why the Church needs to repent! Contained within the prophetic messages are clearly defined rebukes relevant to the shortcomings Messiah had been warning his Church about throughout the ages. Clearly defined and understood if the Church had been attentive! Clearly defined and understood if the Church was not of dull senses; being able to hear but not discern and look but not really see.
It would seem the Church of this Sardis era is a Church which has fooled itself. A Church which is confident that it is righteous and alive but does not understand it is grossly imperfect and lacking in Spirit and the humility to accept the healthy and deserved rebukes Yeshua has lovingly provided throughout the ages. A Church era that is devoid of the spirit of prophecy!
Ironically there is a clear and distinct message regarding this Church era which comes not from Messiah but from historical records. Traditionally Sardis appeared as a gigantic watchtower and was considered virtually impregnable in ancient times. The city was built on a 1500 foot high plateau with steep cliffs on three sides and a narrow road leading to the city on the fourth side. Additionally five major roads converged below it and contributed to Sardis’s status as a great commercial center. The wealth of the city, which had been the capital of the Lydian Empire under the opulent King Croesus, was indeed legendary.
Impregnable as Sardis was it should be noted that when Cyrus of Persia besieged the city (approximately 547 BCe), the populace of Sardis, nestled in their fortress high above, paid little attention to the invader. Cyrus could not find a way to get up to the citadel and even offered a reward to the soldier who discovered a pathway. Sometime later a vigilant Persian soldier spied a defender who had accidentally dropped his helmet from above. The careless soldier climbed down a secret pathway to retrieve it, and that night the Persians led their troops up the same pathway and to the top. To their surprise, the site was completely unguarded. The watchmen had gone home to sleep, thinking there was no need to keep guard at night—and so Sardis fell. Over confidence had betrayed Sardis.
Incredibly several centuries later the same sequence of events occurred when a Greek general besieged the city. After a year’s siege the Greeks appeared to lose all hope of conquering the city. Then one of the Sardian soldiers dropped a helmet and retrieved it. That night the Greeks led some men up the steep cliff. When they reached the top, the place was again unguarded. Sardis’s inhabitants had forgotten their lesson, and their city fell again. (58)
It is apparent the historical record of Sardis cries out for the remembrance of lessons learned. Instead of learning from the mistakes of the past, Sardis lapsed readily into an over confident state of mind. The implications of this Church era message to the Church of Messiah indicate it too has lapsed into a state of ignorant over confidence.
Although we can readily ascertain and interpret the problem facing this Church era, the question within the context of this specific work is “what is the time frame relevant to this Church era?” What is the time frame representative of the Church claiming to be alive while being spiritually dead; a Church that claims to be awake but is asleep?
Historically as a direct result of the reformation movement we see the onset and development of the European Age of Enlightenment! The Age of Enlightenment refers to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in European philosophy, and is often thought of as part of a larger period which includes the “Age of Reason.” The term more specifically refers to a historical intellectual movement, “The Enlightenment.” This movement advocated rationality as a means to establish an authoritative system of ethics, aesthetics, and knowledge.
Historical evidence indicates the intellectual leaders of this movement regarded themselves as courageous and elite! They regarded their purpose as leading the world toward progress and out of a long period of doubtful tradition, full of irrationality, superstition, and tyranny which they believed began during a historical period they called the “Dark Ages.” This movement undoubtedly provided a framework for the American and French Revolutions, the Latin American independence movement, and the Polish Constitution. The movement also led directly to the rise of capitalism and the birth of socialism.
The Enlightenment is identified with the high baroque and classical eras in music, and the early neo-classical period in the arts. In his notable 1784 essay “What Is Enlightenment?” Immanuel Kant defined it as follows: “Enlightenment is man leaving his self-caused immaturity. Immaturity is the incapacity to use one’s intelligence without the guidance of another. Such immaturity is self-caused if it is not caused by lack of intelligence, but by lack of determination and courage to use one’s intelligence without being guided by another. Sapere Aude! [Dare to know!] Have the courage to use your own intelligence,” is therefore the motto of the Enlightenment. (59)
As the reader is probably aware this intellectual movement, spurred on by the dictatorial and often times oppressive nature of the Church of Messiah, undoubtedly led to the social, political, scientific and industrial revolutions looming just around the corner in both Europe and the New World. This movement in essence directly shaped the modern world we live in today. A world of: rationalism, nationalism, secularism, humanism and materialism. The Age of Enlightenment for what it is worth in effect created the age of individualism.
For purposes of this Church message discourse this “Enlightenment” cultural movement cannot of course be ignored, but we need to look at the effects of this movement upon the Church of Messiah. We know historically that in light of the Protestant Reformation, which the author will simply deem to mean external reformation, the Roman Catholic Church did in fact undergo what is historically deemed to be the internal “Catholic Reformation.” The author believes it is most appropriate to review the post reformation Roman Catholic Church through the historical perspective of the Society of Jesus or more commonly known as the “Jesuits.”
The Jesuits were founded just before the Counter-Reformation, a movement whose purpose was to reform the Roman Catholic Church from within and then to counter the Protestant Reformers, whose teachings were spreading throughout Catholic Europe. As part of their service to the Roman Church, the Jesuits encouraged people to continue their obedience both to Scripture and also Roman Catholic doctrine.
Ignatius, the Jesuits founder, did recognize though that the hierarchical Church was in dire need of reform, and some of their greatest struggles were against the corruption, venality, and spiritual weakness within the Roman Catholic Church. As a result, in spite of their loyalty, Ignatius and his successors often tangled with the Pope and the Roman Curia. Over the 450 years since its founding, the Society has been called the Papal “elite troops” while at the same time been forced into suppression by the ecclesiastical powers on more than one occasion.
Ignatius, and the Jesuits who followed him, believed that the reform of the Church had to begin with the conversion of an individual’s heart. One of the main tools the Jesuits used to bring about this conversion has been the Ignatian retreat, called the spiritual exercises. During a four-week period of silence, individuals undergo a series of directed meditations on the life of Yeshua. During this period, they meet regularly with a spiritual director, who helps them understand whatever call or message G_D has offered in their meditations. The retreat follows a Purgative-Illuminative- Unitive pattern in the tradition of the mysticism of John Cassian and the Desert Fathers. Ignatius’ innovation was to make this style of contemplative mysticism available to all people in active life, and to use it as a means of rebuilding the spiritual life of the Church.
Unfortunately after early success and explosive expansion the Jesuits were suppressed primarily because they were seen as growing too prominent and interfering with the running of various political entities. By 1773 following a decree signed by Pope Clement XIV, the Society of Jesus was suppressed in virtually all Catholic countries. The notable exception was Russia and to a lesser extent some other “Orthodox” countries where the authority of the Papacy was not recognized. In fact it was Russia that provided to the suppressed order a safe haven and in effect enabled them to survive. (60)
It would seem the Jesuits’ call to personal spiritual development and commitment as a means of breathing life into the Church’s members and communities did not sit well with the secular and humanist movements which had permeated Europe. In essence the Jesuits were just not politically or culturally popular. The suppression of the Jesuits, in light of the lack of any theological differences with the Church, is indicative of politics defeating religion. Obviously the suppression of the Jesuit order within Europe must have been hailed as a political and cultural victory for the secular champions of “the Enlightenment.”
During the Age of Enlightenment, in spite of a significant difference in the world view adopted by the Church and a marked different approach to how the Church interacted with its members, there was in no way a movement away from Church doctrine and traditions. Conversely during this period the development of doctrine and practices within the external reformist movement, being influenced by the Enlightenment culture and freed from the authoritative bonds of the Roman Catholic Church, seemed to have no end.
From the author’s perspective it is apparent the reformation had spawned a religious environment whereby the societal mood and culture of the period could readily be adapted into a religious framework. As such various regional or national movements could and would directly impact the developing reformist Churches. Putting this issue into an overly simplistic summary, it would seem the reformation had spawned an age where any group of people could ultimately be able to define doctrine, practices and in essence their own Church.
To support this point of view the author would refer to the Reformists’ reference to specific Reformist Churches and groups as “denominations” to imply that they are differently named parts of the whole Reformist Church. This so called “invisible unity” is apparently imperfectly displayed as some denominations are certainly less accepting of others, and the basic orthodoxy of some is questioned by most of the others. Individual denominations also have formed over very subtle theological differences while other denominations are simply regional or ethnic expressions of the same beliefs. The actual number of distinct denominations in the contemporary era is hard to calculate, but has been estimated to be over thirty thousand. Various ecumenical movements have attempted cooperation or reorganization of Reformist Churches, according to various models of union, but divisions continue to outpace unions. Many denominations do share common beliefs in the major aspects of the Christian faith, while differing in many secondary doctrines. According to the World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) by David B. Barrett, et al, there are “over 33,000 denominations in 238 countries.” Every year there is a net increase of around 270 to 300 denominations. (61)
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It is within this Enlightenment historical epoch where we really see the true meaning of Messiah’s message to the Church. While the Roman Catholic Church in essence remained theologically entrenched with the traditions of the past 1500 years, the Reformists’ Church would set in motion a new order of theological development which would ultimately lead to thousands of diverse congregations and myriad forms of doctrine and practice. All the while within the confines of this Church era message Yeshua was exhorting his Church to remember that real enlightenment comes from G_D alone. Real enlightenment comes from true faith and imbuement of the Holy Spirit.
Under the auspices of “the Enlightenment” and religious reforms which took place within this Church era, it is apparent that many would consider this a great awakening or re-birth for Christianity. According to Messiah however this “life” is only in name while the real nature of his Church is one that is spiritually dead.
In spite of the evolved self-awareness and individual pursuit of enlightenment spurred on by this cultural period, we cannot overlook that the Church of Messiah came out of this Age of Enlightenment in a separated and devastated form. In spite of the freedom garnered to enable the individual to explore and develop their relationship with G_D in a personal way, (this being a good thing), it must be noted the potential abuse for the individual, or groups of individuals, to define the ways of G_D in a way which suits their own desires is catastrophic.
The ultimate message Yeshua the Messiah was sending to this Church era was this: the ways of truth and wisdom as set forth by G_D have been provided to people succinctly and clearly within Hebrew Scripture. Yeshua is telling us that individual enlightenment through rationalism and philosophy is just not our path to true enlightenment.
It would seem the failure of the Church of Messiah to repent and seek once again the truths of what had been received by the Church, led to the desire for the seeking of basic truths or enlightenment outside the Church. As such the Age of Enlightenment ensued or as the author would more appropriately refer to this period: the age of self!
The author can best typify the enlightened individual by quoting Descartes: “I think, therefore I am.” The author would counter with the following which is more reflective of G_D’s plan for mankind: “G_D Is, therefore I am.”
To the author it is apparent the Church of Sardis message is indeed associated with the so called “Age of Reason and Enlightenment” spanning the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. With the time frame being established we should revisit the message to Sardis and complete the review of the remaining subject matter.
At the end of verse three Yeshua declares he will come upon the Church as a thief and the Church will not know the hour. There can be no doubt this warning is meant for the Church that is ignorant, over confident and lacking the capability to discern the end times. It would seem ironic and quite disconcerting that Messiah could once again be speaking to the Jewish religious establishment who because of tradition, bureaucracy and self -righteousness had also lacked the spirituality to see the coming of Messiah. Just as Sardis did not understand history and let it repeat, so too do the modern leaders of the chosen people; succumbing to the very same fate that befell the Hebrew ancestors!
Regarding verses four through six we see Yeshua providing exhortation for those few who have not defiled their garments. These would be the individuals who do not get seduced by individual enlightenment but remain strong in faith and understand G_D is the source of both enlightenment and life.
By remaining faithful and not defiling themselves with the secularism and humanism, they will be provided by Yeshua with white raiment indicative of the purity they represent in remaining faithful to G_D’s wisdom. Sadly enough Yeshua makes it quite clear those worthy of white raiment are few which means conversely the vast, vast majority of so called believers will in fact be blotted out of the “book of life.”
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