The Church in Sardis

[Musicmaster]

This is a MOST interesting thing the Lord had written to the Church in Sardis. Please read this VERY carefully, for I will lay out for you the implications in what is written to that Church:

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.

This could easily have been spoken to all seven churches, but it was chosen to be spoken to Sardis because of their deadness, or their lack of watching, and whatever other maladies from which they may have been suffering.

NOT WATCHING = the Lord will "come on thee as a thief" and "thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

WATCHING = the Lord will NOT "come on thee as a thief" and they therefore WILL know "what hour I will come upon thee."

The Lord, being the Author of logic and true reason, has given to us an "if, then" in what is written here.

So, not knowing the hour is predicated upon the lack of repentance and the lack of watching.

Leaving aside all the other topic(s) to which this may be attached, and just focusing on the words and the meaning, along with observing the ramifications of what this is saying, we glean how vastly important repentance and watching are in the life of each and every believer. Because this was spoken to a representation of a dead faith. This is something each and every believer should consider for its sobering warning AND the promises given, although not all the implications were addressed specifically, the Lord left room for filling in the rest with what is expressly written.

Your thoughts?

MM

 

[BibleLover]

This is a MOST interesting thing the Lord had written to the Church in Sardis. Please read this VERY carefully, for I will lay out for you the implications in what is written to that Church:

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.

This could easily have been spoken to all seven churches, but it was chosen to be spoken to Sardis because of their deadness, or their lack of watching, and whatever other maladies from which they may have been suffering.

NOT WATCHING = the Lord will "come on thee as a thief" and "thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

WATCHING = the Lord will NOT "come on thee as a thief" and they therefore WILL know "what hour I will come upon thee."

The Lord, being the Author of logic and true reason, has given to us an "if, then" in what is written here.

So, not knowing the hour is predicated upon the lack of repentance and the lack of watching.

Leaving aside all the other topic(s) to which this may be attached, and just focusing on the words and the meaning, along with observing the ramifications of what this is saying, we glean how vastly important repentance and watching are in the life of each and every believer. Because this was spoken to a representation of a dead faith. This is something each and every believer should consider for its sobering warning AND the promises given, although not all the implications were addressed specifically, the Lord left room for filling in the rest with what is expressly written.

Your thoughts?

MM

This is a very dire warning against DEAD ORTHODOXY. One can be completely correct in doctrine without a love for God or fellow human beings.

 

[Musicmaster]

I'm somewhat surprised that there aren't more comments on this. I mean, this is huge! This speaks of the Lord revealing Himself in ways never before spoken of nor revealed in any other areas of scripture. Revelation 3:3 is spoken directly to the Church, which is mostly Gentiles. The Lord spoke of granting unto the Church what He had told the Jews (His disciples) that no man knew the day nor the hour. That is a direct parallel to the Feast of Trumpets since the ancients never knew the day nor the hour the sliver of the new moon would be seen each year around our September/October timeframe.

Now, for what seems to be an obvious correlation, the Feast of Trumpets, also known as Rosh Hashannah, the exact timing of which has been shrouded in elements traditionally referred to as the one observance of which "no man knows the day nor the hour" of when the start of that day was located on the calendar. The priests had to see the sliver of the new moon to declare the beginning of Rosh Hashannah (Feast of Trumpets), the beginning of their new year, which is also possibly the time of Christ's birth; His first coming to earth.

Another name for the Feast of Trumpets is Yom Teruah:

"Because the exact start of Yom Teruah was unknown, several other idioms for this feast developed over time, two of which are “The Hidden Day” and 'The Day and the Hour No Man Knows.'" (https://icejusa.org/2023/08/02/understanding-the-feast-of-trumpets-yom-teruah/)

The implications of this are, as I said, HUGE! The Lord will give revelation of things in the latter times that had never been known in ancient times, and could not be known until there was technology whereby precise, mathematical computations could be made on the basis of lunar cycles. It is only with the advent of computers that we can now know exactly when sunset will be on, for example, October 3 of 2024, which will be when the sliver of the new moon would be observed so long as there is no cloud cover over Jerusalem.

So, the last trump of that observance day is an interesting correlation that seems to be of great interest in the ways of the Lord and His revelations to us that we don't hear taught about very much through, for example, the group Bible study materials that many groups purchase as a guide for their studies, some of which are very "milk-toast-n-wet-noodle" when it comes to any real depth with meat into which one can actually sink their teeth. They can, much of the time, leave you feeling as if all you did was wade calf deep in the kiddie pond at the local, public swimming pool after having been barred from the adult, deep pool with slides and diving boards into greater depths and challenge.

MM

 

[Musicmaster]

If I may, I'd like to address the Lord's command for us to "watch."

In Mark 13:35, the Greek word translated as "watch" (grēgoreō) has this as its definition in that grammatical and contextual construct:

"Metaphorically, to watch i. e. give strict attention to, be cautious, active: — to take heed lest through remissness and indolence some destructive calamity suddenly overtake one, Matthew 24:42; Matthew 25:13; Mark 13:35" (Thayer's Greek Lexicon)

Not many Bible study guides will challenge one's sensibilities with that level of strength.

Mark 13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

That has the ring of being dire for all professing believers, but when someone teaches you that you're living your best life right now...such are not teaching the word of God, but rather something else that has the effect of what is similar to a snort of cocaine for partying. Jesus is dead serious about the necessity for us to be always on the lookout against the lazy and indolent ("having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful:
an indolent person") (dictionary.com)

Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

In this instance, it is the Greek word (agrypneō) translated for the command to "watch"

"to be sleepless, keep awake, watch (equivalent to γρηγορέω [see below]); [from Theognis down]; tropically, to be circumspect, attentive, ready: Mark 13:33; Luke 21:36"

The Lord has given to us precious gems here for these days, and ignoring it all, as if everything is going along as it always has, that is what may be termed as intentional blindness and slothfulness. The enemy of our souls wants us in that place for those he cannot entice to worship him.

In these last days, we must always be vigilant, watching always for those things that come our way to divide us from away from fellowship with one another in Christ Jesus, and to drive each of us deeper into worldliness and lethargic indifference to the times within which we find ourselves.

MM

 

[BibleLover]

If I may, I'd like to address the Lord's command for us to "watch."

In Mark 13:35, the Greek word translated as "watch" (grēgoreō) has this as its definition in that grammatical and contextual construct:

"Metaphorically, to watch i. e. give strict attention to, be cautious, active: — to take heed lest through remissness and indolence some destructive calamity suddenly overtake one, Matthew 24:42; Matthew 25:13; Mark 13:35" (Thayer's Greek Lexicon)

Not many Bible study guides will challenge one's sensibilities with that level of strength.

Mark 13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

That has the ring of being dire for all professing believers, but when someone teaches you that you're living your best life right now...such are not teaching the word of God, but rather something else that has the effect of what is similar to a snort of cocaine for partying. Jesus is dead serious about the necessity for us to be always on the lookout against the lazy and indolent ("having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful:
an indolent person") (dictionary.com)

Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

In this instance, it is the Greek word (agrypneō) translated for the command to "watch"

"to be sleepless, keep awake, watch (equivalent to γρηγορέω [see below]); [from Theognis down]; tropically, to be circumspect, attentive, ready: Mark 13:33; Luke 21:36"

The Lord has given to us precious gems here for these days, and ignoring it all, as if everything is going along as it always has, that is what may be termed as intentional blindness and slothfulness. The enemy of our souls wants us in that place for those he cannot entice to worship him.

In these last days, we must always be vigilant, watching always for those things that come our way to divide us from away from fellowship with one another in Christ Jesus, and to drive each of us deeper into worldliness and lethargic indifference to the times within which we find ourselves.

MM

Imagine your loved one was on business overseas, and you didn't know exactly when that loved one would get back except that because of the transportation network, the arrival would be on a morning. Also, imagine that the loved one's favorite breakfast was pancakes. Wouldn't you keep a batch of pancake batter in the refrigerator ready to cook at a moment's notice? That's how we should be living our Christian lives--expectantly.

 

[Musicmaster]

Imagine your loved one was on business overseas, and you didn't know exactly when that loved one would get back except that because of the transportation network, the arrival would be on a morning. Also, imagine that the loved one's favorite breakfast was pancakes. Wouldn't you keep a batch of pancake batter in the refrigerator ready to cook at a moment's notice? That's how we should be living our Christian lives--expectantly.

Now THAT is a good parallel image. When you get the call that the loved one is about to land, get their vehicle in the parking, and be there at the house within the next two hours, the batter can then be removed, pancakes baked up and placed in the warmer while other preparations are made. When that loved one walks through the door, it's all ready for them to partake.

We will one day be given what we need to know of the hour of His return. What I've presented here may not be the actual indicator of note, but we can know from His words and deeper meaning that He will indeed reveal to those who are "watching" the hour of His coming. Revelation 3:3 makes that abundantly clear. Isn't that amazing, and quite earth shaking for those who love His coming, for He will one day set up His Kingdom on this earth, and we will be here with Him.

What's cool is that I won't have to pay one penny to travel to Israel in that time. We will go there without having to buy a tour package that provides free travel for some titled guide who slaps his name on the tour, with promises of a good time while experiencing the warm fuzzies of "walking where Jesus walked..." We will be there with the King Himself, the complex of His temple and visitor's center being nearly 50 square miles in size and scope.

MM

 

[BibleLover]

Learning the ancient Galilean wedding customs has opened my eyes to a lot of what's taught in the parables and to eschatology. Here is some great information on the topic:

A Galilean Wedding - GGWO Church Baltimore

It is no coincidence that Jesus’s first miracle was performed at a Galilean (Cana) wedding. The wedding was the most important event taking place in the Galilean villages of Jesus’s day since it was to be celebrated by all. The entire church age as defined by the new covenant established by...

ggwo.org