<< Revelation 3 >>

 1And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast   a  name that thou livest, and art dead. 2Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.  3Remember 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.  4Thou 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.  5He 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.  6He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 7And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; 8I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

 9Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 10Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.  11Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. 12Him 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 of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. 13He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 14And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

 18I 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 mayest see. 19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20Behold, 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.  21To 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. 22He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

This chapter treats of those in the Christian world who are in dead worship, which is without charity and faith; who are described by the church in Sardis (n. 154-171). Those who are in truths from good from the Lord; who are described by the church in Philadelphia (n. 172-197). Those who alternately believe from themselves, and from the Word, and thus profane holy things; who are described by the church in Laodicea (n. 198-223). All of these likewise are called to the New Church of the Lord. The contents of each verse

Spiritual Correspondences

 Verse 1. "And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write,"
 
 To those and concerning those, who are in dead worship, or in worship which is without the goods of charity, and without the truths of faith.
 
 "These things saith He that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars,"
 
 The Lord, from whom are all truths, and all the knowledges of good and truth.
 
 "I know thy works,"
 
 The Lord sees all their interiors and exteriors at once.
 
 "That thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead,"
 
 It may be seen and believed by themselves and by others, that they are spiritually alive, when yet they are spiritually dead.
 
 Verse 2. "Be watchful,"
 
 To be in truths and in a life according to them.
 
 "And strengthen the remaining things which are about to die,"
 
 The things which pertain to their worship may receive life.
 
 "For I have not found thy works full before God,"
 
 The interiors of their worship are not conjoined with the Lord.
 
 Verse 3. "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard,"
 
 They should consider that all worship in the beginning is natural, and afterwards by truths becomes spiritual, besides many other things.
 
 "And observe and repent,"
 
 They should attend to these things, and give life to their dead worship.
 
 "If therefore thou shalt not watch,"
 
  Here the same as above.
 
 "I will come upon thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know in what hour I will come upon thee,"
 
 The things which are of worship shall be taken from them, and that they shall not know when and how this is done.
 
 Verse 4. "Thou hast a few names even in Sardis,"
 
 Among them there are also some who have life in their worship.
 
 "Which have not defiled their garments,"
 
 Who are in truths, and have not defiled worship by evils of life and falsities thence derived.
 
 "And they shall walk with Me in white,"
 
 They shall live with the Lord, because they are in truths from Him.
 
 Verse 5. "He that overcometh shall be clothed in white garments,"
 
 He who is reformed becomes spiritual.
 
 "And I will not blot out his name out of the book of life,"
 
 He shall be saved.
 
 "And I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels,"
 
 They will be received who are in Divine truths from the Lord.
 
 Verse 6. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches,"
 
 Here, as before.
 
 Verse 7. "And unto the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,"
 
 To those and concerning those, who are in truths from good from the Lord.
 
 "These things saith He that is holy, He that is true,"
 
 The Lord as to the Divine truth.
 
 "He that hath the key of David, He that openeth and no one shutteth, and shutteth and no one openeth,"
 
 Who alone has omnipotence to save.
 
  Verse 8. "I know thy works,"
 
 Here, as above.
 
 "Behold, I have set before thee an open door,"
 
 Heaven is open to those who are in truths from good from the Lord.
 
 "And no one is able to shut it,"
 
 Hell cannot prevail against them.
 
"Because thou hast a little power,"
 
They know that they can do nothing from themselves.
 
"And hast kept My Word,"
 
They live according to the Lord's commandments in His Word.
 
"And hast not denied My name,"
 
They are in the worship of the Lord.
 
Verse 9. "And I will give from the synagogue of Satan,"
 
Those who are in falsities as to doctrine.
 
"Who say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie,"
 
Who say that the church is with them, and yet it is not.
 
"Behold I will make them to come and adore at thy feet,"
 
Many who are in falsities as to doctrine, will receive the truths of the New Church.
 
"And to know that I have loved thee,"
 
They shall see that they are loved and received into heaven by the Lord.
 
Verse 10. "Because thou hast kept the Word of My endurance,"
 
Because they have fought against evils.
 
"I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth,"
 
They will be protected and preserved in the day of the Last Judgment.
 
Verse 11. "Behold I come quickly,"
 
The Lord's coming.
 
"Hold fast that thou hast,"
 
In the meantime they should remain in their truths and goods.
 
"That no one take thy crown,"
 
Lest wisdom should perish, from which is eternal felicity.
 
Verse 12. "Him that overcometh,"
 
They who persist in truths from good.
 
"Will I make a pillar in the temple of My God,"
 
Truths from good from the Lord, with those in whom they abide, sustain the church.
 
"And he shall go no more out,"
 
They shall remain there to eternity.
 
"And I will write upon him the name of My God,"
 
Divine truth shall be inscribed on their hearts.
 
"And the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem,"
 
The doctrine of the New Church shall be inscribed on their hearts.
 
"Which cometh down out of heaven from My God,"
 
which will be from the Divine truth of the Lord such as it is in heaven
 
"And My new name,"
 
The worship of the Lord alone, with new things which were not in the former church.
 
Verse 13. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches,"
 
Here, as before.
 
Verse 14. "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,"
 
To those and concerning those, in the church, who alternately believe from themselves, and from the Word, and thus profane things holy.
 
"These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness,"
 
The Lord as to the Word, which is the Divine truth from Him.
 
"The beginning of the work of God,"
 
The Word.
 
Verse 15. "I know thy works,"
 
Signifies here, as before.
 
"That thou art neither cold nor hot,"
 
They who are such, sometimes deny that the Word is Divine and holy, and at other times acknowledge it.
 
"I would thou wert cold or hot,"
 
It is better for them either from the heart to deny the holy things of the Word and of the church, or from the heart to acknowledge them.
 
Verse 16."Therefore because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit thee out of My mouth,"
 
Profanation and separation from the Lord.
 
Verse 17. "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased in goods,"
 
They believe they possess in all abundance the knowledges of good and truth, which are of heaven and the church.
 
"And have need of nothing,"
 
They have no need of more wisdom.
 
"And knowest not that thou art wretched,"
 
All things which they know concerning them do not at all cohere.
 
"And miserable and poor,"
 
They are without the understanding of truth, and without the will of good.
 
Verse 18. "I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich,"
 
An admonition to acquire to themselves the good of love from the Lord by means of the Word, that they may become wise.
 
"And white garments that thou mayest be clothed,"
 
They should acquire to themselves the genuine truths of wisdom.
 
"And that the shame of thy nakedness may not appear,"
 
Lest the good of celestial love should be profaned and adulterated.
 
"And anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see,"
 
Their understanding may be healed.
 
Verse 19. "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten,"
 
Because they are now beloved, they cannot but be admitted into temptations.
 
"Be zealous, therefore, and repent,"
 
This should be done from the affection of truth.
 
Verse 20. "Behold I stand at the door, and knock,"
 
The Lord is present to everyone in the Word, and is there pressing to be received, and He teaches how.
 
"If anyone hear My voice, and open the door,"
 
He who believes in the Word and lives according to it.
 
"I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me,"
 
The Lord conjoins Himself with them and they with Him.
 
Verse 21. "To him that overcometh,"
 
In conjunction with the Lord by a life according to His precepts in the Word.
 
 "Will I give to sit with Me in My throne,"
 
They will have conjunction with the Lord in heaven.
 
 "As I overcame, and sit with the Father in His throne,"
 
 As He and the Father are one and are heaven.
 
 Verse 22. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches,"
 
 Signifies here, as before.
 
Author: Emanuel Swedenborg (Apocalypse Revealed)