WHILE SARDIS ISN’T QUITE AS BAD AS PERGAMOS, IT’S NOT FAR. SARDIS WAS ONLY 27 MILES DUE SOUTH FROM THYATIRA, SO IT COULD BE TRAVELED ON FOOT IN A SINGLE DAY BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES. AT ONE POINT IT WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST CITIES IN ASIA AS THE CAPITAL OF A REGION CALLED LYDIA. THEIR PATRON DEITY WAS CYBELE AND HER LIKENESS WAS EVEN STAMPED ON COINS. SHE IS SAID TO HAVE HAD THE POWER OF RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD.
HOWEVER ABOUT A HALF-CENTURY BEFORE JOHN PENNED REVELATION, AN ENORMOUS EARTHQUAKE LEVELLED SARDIS AND BY JOHN’S DAY IT HAD STILL NOT RECOVERED. THE CITY WAS IN A SAD STATE, THE ECONOMY WAS STRUGGLING, AND SO THE BELIEVERS THERE (ALONG WITH EVERYONE ELSE) HAD TO WORK HARD TO MAKE A LIVING.
SARDIS WAS A FORTIFIED CITY LOCATED ON A STEEP PLATEAU AND VERY OPPOSING IN APPEARANCE WITH WALLS AND TOWERS. INFACT THE ONLY WAY TO PENETRATE THE CITY WAS TO CLIMB THE STEEP CLIFFS OF THE HILL UNNOTICED, AND IT WAS AT THIS SPOT THAT THE CITY WAS EVENTUALLY CONQUERED. THEY'D BECOME OVER-CONFIDENT IN THE STRENGTH OF THEIR FORTRESS AND WATCHTOWER, AND SO WHEN THE CARELESS WATCHMEN HAD LEFT THEIR POST, THE CITY WAS VULNERABLE TO ATTACK AND TAKEN. AND THIS ATTACK CAME IN THE DARK OF NIGHT WHEN NO ONE WAS EXPECTING OR WATCHING !!! (HOLD THIS THOUGHT) ...
SARDIS MEANS:
1. ‘THE REMNANT’, ‘ESCAPING ONES’, ‘THOSE WHO COME OUT’
2. ‘THAT WHICH REMAINS’
3. A PRECIOUS STONE, GEM OR JEWEL (THE SARDIUS WAS A RED STONE)
4. ‘SONG OF JOY’ - ‘SHINING LIGHT’
SO IT’S OBVIOUS THAT WITHIN SARDIS THERE WAS A REMNANT THAT WAS NOT CORRUPTED BY THE CONDITION BROODING IN THE EARLY ASSEMBLY AND THESE WERE LIKE PRECIOUS STONES OR GEMS TO YAHUSHA, SHINING LIGHTS IN THE DARKNESS, ABLE TO ESCAPE AND COME OUT OF THE CONDITION THAT YAHUSHA IS CONFRONTING IN THIS LETTER.
“And to the Messenger of the Assembly in Sardis write, ‘He who has the 7 Spirits (PERFECT SET-APART SPIRIT) of Yahuah and the seven stars (MESSENGERS), says this, “I see all the works that you busy yourself doing, and that you have a reputation for being alive and vibrant in Me ….. but you’re really dead!
THE SEVEN SPIRITS OF YAHUAH ARE LIKENED TO SEVEN LAMPS BEFORE THE THRONE OF YAHUAH AND IN ZECH.4 THE NUMBER SEVEN IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE GOLDEN LAMPSTAND, SEEN IN THE SEVEN GOLDEN PIPES.
THE GOLDEN OIL WOULD FLOW TO PROVIDE OIL FOR LIGHT TO THE LAMPS SO THE PERFECT SPIRIT OF YAHUSHA FLOWS INTO THE SEVEN ASSEMBLIES AND SUPPLIES ALL THAT SARDIS SORELY NEEDS.
YAHUSHA IMMEDIATELY HITS SARDIS WITH A DAMNING ACCUSATION: THEY’RE PHONIES, HAVING A REPUTATION FOR BEING ALIVE AND DOING LOTS OF WORK SPREADING THE GOOD NEWS, BUT IN REALITY THEY'RE DEAD - AND CLEARLY THIS IS TALKING ABOUT THEIR SPIRITUAL CONDITION.
WHAT A TRAGIC CONDITION! A DEAD ASSEMBLY! 'THERE IS NO NICOLAITANS OR BALAAM, OR EVEN JEZEBEL MENTIONED - JUST SPIRITUAL DEATH! DEAD FORMALITY & TRADITION, DEAD SHADOWS AND RITUAL. IT IS SPIRITUALLY DEAD, AND THOUGH HAVING A NAME AND REPUTATION FOR LIFE, THE SPIRITUAL VITALITY AND INSPIRATION FROM YAHUSHA'S PORTAL IS GONE AND SARDIS IS LIFELESS AND COLD. IT HAS A FORM OF RIGHTEOUSNESS BUT THERE IS NO POWER.
WHAT ACTIVITY THERE MUST HAVE BEEN OUTWARDLY TO HAVE GAINED SUCH A REPUTATION OF BEING A LIVE ASSEMBLY, AND HAVING A NAME AS SUCH, YET THE ONE WHO KNOWS ALL FEELS THE PULSE AND HEARTBEAT OF EVERY ASSEMBLY AND PRONOUNCES HER DEAD WHILE SHE LIVES!
SARDIS IS DEAD TO YAHUSHA BUT ALIVE TO THE WORLD... A DEAD ASSEMBLY CAN ONLY PRODUCE DEAD WORKS, AND THIS IS AN ASSEMBLY THAT NEEDS TRUE REPENTANCE.
So wake up and start strengthening what little strength you have left, for it’s about to die too and you’re all becoming desperate. You may look busy, but I find your behaviour completely lacking according to Yahuah’s Word.
THEY HAVE BECOME SO LETHARGIC IN THEIR BEHAVIOUR THAT YAHUSHA IS ABOUT TO TAKE AWAY THEIR LIGHT, WHICH MEANS CUTTING THEM OFF, BECAUSE THEY'D BECOME SO INWARD-LOOKING THAT THEY WERE SIMPLY `EXISTING' AND KEEPING UP A FAÇADE OF TRADITION.
WHAT WAS THE REMEDY FOR THEIR CONDITION OF SPIRITUAL COMA? TO REMEMBER WHAT THEY HAD FIRST RECEIVED AND HEARD, AND OBEY IT, AND TURN FROM THEIR SIN. OBEDIENCE TO YAHUAH'S WORD HAD GONE MISSING AND THIS ASSEMBLY HAD BECOME A SOCIAL GROUP OF NICE PEOPLE, AND THEY CONGRATULATED THEMSELVES IN THIS EVERY DAY.
Remember how you first received and heard? Go back to that, hold onto it and REPENT for your sins. Because if you don’t wake up, I’ll come on you like a thief completely unexpected, breaking into your life with consequences, and you won’t even know what hour I do it!
YAHUSHA'S PEOPLE ARE TO BE AWAKE AND WATCHING FOR THE SIGNS OF HIS COMING. THE OPPOSITE OF WATCHFULNESS IS SLEEPINESS!
AS MENTIONED THERE'S NO PARTICULAR 'ENEMY' OR PRESSURE FROM THE NICOLAITANS, DOCTRINE OF BALAAM OR JEZEBEL, OR EVEN THE ANTAGONISTIC JEWS. THE ENEMY WITHIN IS LACK OF WATCHFULNESS, THE DYING OR DEATH WHILE BEING DECEIVED THAT THEY ARE ALIVE, INFLUENTIAL AND A POPULAR ASSEMBLY. THIS IS THE GREATEST ENEMY - DEATH!
SARDIS HAD RECEIVED THE WORD, HAD HEARD THE WORD, BUT IT HAS RELAXED AND LET THE TRUTHS THEY HAD RECEIVED SLIP FROM THEM. DEADNESS HAS CREPT IN UNNOTICED. THE ONLY ANSWER TO THIS DEADNESS WAS TO COME TO REPENTANCE.
TWICE THE MASTER SPEAKS TO THIS ASSEMBLY ABOUT WATCHFULNESS.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF LATTER TEXTS WHICH SPEAK OF YAHUSHA COMING AS 'A THIEF IN THE NIGHT’ (AN EXPRESSION PARTICULARLY MEANINGFUL TO A CITY WHO’S HISTORICAL CARELESSNESS AND MISPLACED CONFIDENCE RESULTED IN VULNERABILITY TO A SURPRISE ATTACK).
THE WARNING TAKES ON GREAT SIGNIFICANCE AS THE MASTER THREATENS TO COME UPON THIS UNPREPARED ASSEMBLY AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT. SARDIS, AS SEEN, WAS CONTINUALLY ALERT FOR BANDITS AND THIEVES COMING FROM THE HILLS UPON THE TRADERS AND THEIR GOODS. HERE THE MASTER IS SEEKING TO ALERT THEM AS AN ASSEMBLY TO THIS CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL DANGER.
"IF THE GOODMAN OF THE HOUSE WOULD HAVE KNOWN IN WHAT WATCH THE THIEF WOULD COME, HE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD HIS HOUSE BROKEN INTO". (MATT.24 LUKE.12) HE WOULD HAVE WATCHED & BEEN READY.
"THE DAY OF THE MASTER WILL COME AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT" (1THESS.5 2.PET.3)
"BUT THE CHILDREN OF NIGHT WILL NOT BE OVERTAKEN AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT. SOBERNESS AND WATCHFULNESS PROTECT THEM" (1THESS.5).
AS CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT, CHILDREN OF THE DAY. THEY ARE NOT OF THE DARKNESS, NOR OF THE NIGHT, SO THAT DAY SHOULD NOT OVERTAKE THEM AS A THIEF.
YAHUSHA WILL COME AS A THIEF AND BELIEVERS ARE TO WATCH AND KEEP THEIR GARMENTS.
However, having said that - you do have a few people in Sardis who haven’t spoiled their garments with worldly ways, and they’ll walk with Me in white, because they’re the worthy ones.
GARMENTS
AS PEOPLE WALKED ALONG THE ROAD, THEIR LONG GARMENTS WOULD OFTEN GET DIRTY BY THE DUST OF THE ROAD, AND NEED CLEANSING. THE CUSTOM WAS TO GATHER ONE'S GARMENTS ABOUT THEM SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT BECOME FILTHY OR SOILED IN THE WALK OR TRAVEL INVOLVED.
THERE WAS ALSO THE 'LAW OF THE LEPROUS GARMENT' (LEV 13) WHERE THE DIRTY GARMENT WAS EITHER CLEANSED BY (A) WASHING IN WATER, OR (B) BURNING BY FIRE. THERE WAS EVEN A SECOND WASHING FOR A GARMENT IF THERE WAS CLEANSING IN IT.
NOTE THE WARNINGS OF THE MASTER IN REV.16 ABOUT KEEPING ONE'S GARMENTS CLEAN LEST YAHUSHA COME AS A THIEF TO THE UNWATCHING PERSON. JUDE AND JAMES ALSO TALK ABOUT HATING THE GARMENT SPOTTED OR DEFILED BY THE FLESH (JUDE 23 WITH JAMES.1). NOTE ALSO THE ‘WATERS OF SEPARATION - SPOKEN OF IN NUM.19. THE WHOLE CHAPTER SPEAKS OF BEING DEFILED BY DEATH, A DEAD BODY.. OR DEAD BONES. THE PERSON DEFILED WAS TO HAVE VARIOUS CEREMONIAL CLEANSING AND TO WASH HIS GARMENTS OR CLOTHES IN ORDER TO BE CLEAN (REV.7).
EVEN IN SARDIS, THERE WERE A FEW WHO HAD NOT BECOME DEFILED BY THE 'DEAD BODY', (THE DEAD ASSEMBLY IN SARDIS). THEIR GARMENTS WERE CLEAR AND KEPT WASHED IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB AND THE WASHING OF WATER BY THE WORD, SYMBOLISED IN THE BLOOD AND WATER THAT FLOWED FROM MESSIAH'S SIDE ON THE STAKE (JOHN 19).
Yes, everyone who overcomes will be dressed in white robes (GARMENTS) and I won’t have to blot out their name from the Book of Life, but I will present them (by name) to My Father and before His Messengers.
WHAT A TREMENDOUS PROMISE IS GIVEN TO THE OVERCOMER OF DEADNESS IN THE SARDIS ASSEMBLY! IF WE DECLARE HIM HE WILL DECLARE US !
THE GARMENTS OF YAHUSHA SHONE WITH LIGHT, ESTEEM, BRIGHTNESS AND WHITENESS ON THE MT OF TRANSFIGURATION.
THE WHITE LINEN IS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE BELIEVERS - THEY ARE CLEAN AND BRIGHT (REV.19).
THEY ARE MADE WORTHY THROUGH THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB (REV 7).
WALKING IN WHITE SPEAKS OF PERFECTION, PURITY, RIGHTEOUSNESS AND CLEAN. ENOCH WALKED WITH YAHUAH. NOAH WALKED WITH YAHUAH. THE BRIDE ALSO WALKS WORTHY OF YAHUSHA IN LIGHT, IN LOVE, IN WISDOM OR 'IN WHITE', FOR WHITE IS LIGHT.
THE EMPEROR AND HIS CHIEF MEN WERE OFTEN DRESSED IN WHITE WHEN DISPLAYING THEIR TRIUMPHS BEFORE THE CITIZENS. THE CUSTOM IN ROME WAS (IN RELIGIOUS OR MILITARY FESTIVALS OR PROCESSIONS), ALL WERE DRESSED IN PURE WHITE.
THE WHITE RAIMENT OF BRIGHT AND SHINING ARRAY SPOKE OF DIVINE RIGHTEOUSNESS AND NATURE. THE UNDERGARMENT OF THE HIGH PRIEST, AND THE GARMENTS OF THE PRIESTS WERE WHITE LINEN. THE HIGH PRIEST DRESSED IN PURE WHITE FOR THE DAY OF ATONEMENT CEREMONIES.
THE WHITE RAIMENT SPEAKS OF PRIESTLY SERVICE AND ATTIRE AND THE ESTEEM OF YAHUAH UPON HIS BELIEVERS. WHEN ADAM FELL, HE LOST THE 'WHITE PORTAL ESTEEM' OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND WAS TEMPORARILY CLOTHED IN THE 'COATS OF SKIN OF REDEMPTION’. THE ULTIMATE TRUTH OF THE WHITE RAIMENT IS IN THE RECEPTION OF THE RESURRECTION AND ESTEEMED FIRSTFRUIT BODY, JUST LIKE MESSIAH'S BODY (PHIL.3).
THE SCRIPTURES SPEAK OF VARIOUS GARMENTS WHICH BELONG TO YAHUSHA'S BRIDE.
I. THE GARMENT OF DELIVERANCE (ISA 6I)
2. THE GARMENT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (ISA 61).
3. THE GARMENT OF PRAISE (ISA.6 - 1 THESS.5 - HEB.13).
4. THE GARMENT OF ZEAL (ISA59).
5. THE GARMENT OF ESTEEM AND BEAUTY (EX.28).
6. THE GARMENT OF FINE LINEN UPON THE HIGH PRIEST AND THE PRIESTS.
7. THE GARMENT THAT IS WHITE, UNDEFILED AND UNSPOTTED WITH THE THINGS OF EARTH (ECCLES.9).
NOTHING OF DEATH DEFILES THIS GARMENT.
SO YAHUSHA SAYS WE'LL BE DRESSED IN WHITE ROBES AND NOT BE SCRATCHED OUT OF THE BOOK OF LIFE ....
SCRIPTURE GIVES MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT BOOKS. YAHUAH HAS A BOOK OF LIFE. HE HAD BOOKS OF THE RECORD OF EVERY PERSON'S LIFE, IN THOUGHT, WORD AND DEED AND MOTIVE. THE NAMES OF HIS OWN ARE IN THE BOOK OF LIFE. THEY ARE ENROLLED IN THE SHAMAYIM. IT IS THE BOOK OF ETERNAL LIFE (HEB.12).
THIS WAS SHADOWED IN THE REGISTRAR IN YISHARAL, FOR THIS BOOK WAS KEPT IN ALL THE CITIES OF THE LIVING CITIZENS. THE DEAD HAD THEIR NAMES BLOTTED OUT OR ERASED FROM THIS BOOK. NONE COULD MINISTER IN THE PRIESTHOOD UNLESS THEIR NAMES WERE REGISTERED IN THE GENEALOGY AND REGISTRAR BOOK IN THE TEMPLE (EZRA 2).
THE 'DEAD ONES' (SPIRITUALLY DEAD, OR 'TWICE DEAD'. JUDE12), WOULD HAVE THEIR NAMES BLOTTED OUT OF THE BOOK OF LIFE, UNLESS THEY REPENTED.
THE PRODIGAL SON WAS 'DEAD’ BUT BECAME 'ALIVE AGAIN' AFTER REPENTANCE AND RETURNING TO THE FATHER'S HOUSE. SO MAY THE ASSEMBLY IN SARDIS. IF THEY OBEYED FROM THE HEART THIS EXHORTATION TO REMEMBER AND REPENT. THIS WAS THE VERY PURPOSE IN WRITING THE LETTER TO THEM.
MOSES KNEW THAT NAMES COULD BE BLOTTED OUT OF YAHUAH'S BOOK (EX32).
CURSES WERE BLOTTED OUT OF THE BOOK BY THE BITTER WATERS RITUAL (NUM.5).
YAHUAH THREATENED TO BLOT OUT THE NAME OF YISHARAL AND MAKE MOSES A GREAT NATION (DEUT.9).
ANY TRIBE IN YISHARAL, WHICH TURNED TO IDOLATRY AND APOSTASY, WOULD HAVE THEIR NAMES BLOTTED OUT OF THE BOOK (DEUT.29).
THE NAME OF DAN IS BLOTTED OUT OF THE QUOTA OF THE 144,000 YISHARALITES, JUDAS HAD HIS NAME BLOTTED OUT OF THE BOOK OF THE LIVING (PSA.69 & 109 - ACTS 1).
SO NAMES OF 'DEAD BELIEVERS' CAN BE BLOTTED OUT OF THE BOOK OF LIFE. ALSO ANY WHO TAKE AWAY OR ADD TO THE BOOK OF REVELATION WILL HAVE THEIR NAMES TAKEN AWAY AND RECEIVE THE JUDGMENTS OF YAHUAH ACCORDINGLY. THE BLOOD OF YAHUSHA BLOTS OUT OUR SINS, BUT IF ONE FALLS AWAY, THEN THEIR NAME IS BLOTTED OUT OF THE BOOK OF LIFE. THE BRIDE MUST NOT ABUSE YAHUAH'S FAVOUR AND SECURITY OTHERWISE THEIR NAMES MAY BE ERASED FROM THE LAMB'S BOOK OF LIFE !
THE SCRIPTURES ARE CLEAR THAT IF WE CONFESS YAHUSHA, HE WILL CONFESS US. IF WE DENY HIM, HE WILL DENY US. YAHUSHA MESSIAH IS THE HIGH PRIEST OF OUR BELIEF. CONFESS HIS NAME BEFORE MEN, AND HE WILL CONFESS OUR NAME BEFORE HIS FATHER AND ALL THE SET-APART MESSENGERS. WHAT AN HONOUR FOR THE SON TO ACKNOWLEDGE US PUBLICLY BY NAME IN THE SHAMAYIM.
YOUR NAME IS IMPORTANT !!
AS AARON THE HIGH PRIEST WENT INTO THE SANCTUARY OF YAHUAH, HE BORE UPON HIS HEART THE NAMES OF THE 12 TRIBES OF YISHARAL IN THE 12 STONES IN THE BREASTPLATE OF JUDGMENT. AND AGAIN, AARON ALSO BORE THE NAMES OF THE 12 TRIBES ON THE TWO ONYX STONES (SIX NAMES ON EACH STONE) ON HIS SHOULDERS BEFORE THE MASTER. THE NAMES OF YAHUAH’S PEOPLE WERE EVER REPRESENTED BEFORE YAHUAH IN THE HIGH PRIEST OF YISHARAL AND BEFORE THE PRESENCE OF HIS ESTEEM IN THE TABERNACLE OF THE MASTER. HOW MUCH GREATER IS IT FOR THE OVERCOMER TO HAVE HIS NAME UPON THE HEART OF YAHUSHA, AND TO HAVE HIS NAME CONFESSED BEFORE THE FATHER AND THE SET-APART ANGELS BY HIM, WHO IS OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST IN THE DIVINE SANCTUARY!
So if you’ve got ears, then listen to what the Spirit says to the Assemblies.
MANY ASSEMBLIES ARE AS SARDIS, ALIVE IN NAME ONLY, BUT SPIRITUALLY DEAD. MANY ARE DEAD IN FORMALITY, RITUALISM, PROFESSIONALISM, KEEPING UP TRADITIONS AND APPEARANCES THROUGH DEAD RELIGIOUS SHADOW WORSHIP, HAVING `A FORM OF RIGHTEOUSNESS BUT DENYING THE POWER AND REALITY THEREIN'. THEY LACK THE FLOW OF LIFE OF THE FULNESS OF YAHUSHA’S SPIRIT, THEIR GARMENTS ARE SOILED AND NOT SHINING WHITE FROM EXPOSURE TO THRONEROOM COMMUNICATION THROUGH THE PORTAL AND MANY ARE CUT OFF FROM THE MASTER, THE VERY SOURCE OF TRUE ASSEMBLY LIFE AND VITALITY. THIS SPIRITUAL CONDITION NEEDS TO BE OVERCOME.
IN EVERY ASSEMBLY AND EVERY CONDITION THERE ARE THE 'OVERCOMERS' OF SLOTHFULNESS, LETHARGY, CARELESSNESS AND NEGLIGENCE (THE SIGNS OF SARDIS). THE LAST DAYS WILL HAVE A GROUP OF OVERCOMERS WHO WILL NOT BE CAUGHT UNAWARES IN THE THIEF-LIKE COMING OF MESSIAH, FOR THEY ARE NOT WEIGHING THEMSELVES DOWN WITH THE USELESS AFFAIRS OF THIS LIFE, IN GOSSIP, PARTYING OR DRUNK SLUMBER. THEY ARE WATCHING, WAITING, READYING THEIR WEDDING ROBES FOR THE GREAT FEAST. OTHERS IN THE SARDIS CONDITION WILL BE TAKEN UNAWARES AND SHALL NOT ESCAPE THE THINGS WHICH ARE TO COME ON THE EARTH.
YAHUSHA SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES, 'WATCH THEREFORE, AND PRAY ALWAYS, THAT YOU MAY BE ACCOUNTED WORTHY TO ESCAPE ALL THESE THINGS THAT SHALL COME TO PASS, AND TO STAND BEFORE THE SON OF MAN" (LUKE.21).
MANY LESSONS ARE IN THIS EPISTLE ALSO, BUT THE MAJOR PRACTICAL LESSON IS A CALL TO WATCHFULNESS!
WILL OUR GARMENTS BE READY AND SHINING WHITE?
