The Revelation of St John The Divine

Revelation  Chapter  3: 1 - 6
Unto the angel of the church in Sardis...

 
 ... cont'd from Revelation Chp 2: 18- 29

Revelation 3:1 "And 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."

As noted prior there are not seven letters to seven churches of Asia, but rather one: "a book" (noted in Rev 1:11) to all seven; And more specifically to the seven angels (listed in Acts 20). And what's written in such a book (of death) by John (who turned back to law like a dog to his vomit) is patched into the book of Revelation by Paul: author of Revelation (who makes it a book of life by ending it with his salutation), as an allegoric satire on John (subverter of said  angels of said churches) by Paul (apostolic establisher of said churches). And for allegoric reasons (perhaps not a minor detail) it's "of" for first and last churches, "in" for the other five. So it's: Unto the angel of the church "in" Sardis... not of Sardis nor at Sardis.

Now we have "like unto the Son of man" (described in Rev 1), calling himself "he that hath the seven Spirits of God (further described in Rev 4:5 & 5:6) and the seven stars (seven stars "are the angels of the seven churches": Rev 1:20)". As noted prior these seven Spirits of Revelation are "seven other spirits more wicked" returning to a body not purged of sin consciousness due to being so dog gone law <= law. For when it comes to the only wise God (of foolish/wise Gods), the only true God (of false/true Gods), the only Potentate (that God that JC came to shew in his times), that God (of this/that Gods), the God of all grace (no law at all)...Well, then there is only one Spirit... that Spirit: the Spirit of grace (not law nor grace + law), which is also the Spirit of truth (not lie nor truth + lie). The Lord is now "that Spirit" (of this/that Spirits) and where "the Spirit" of "the Lord", there liberty (eleutheria: no slave nor servant, unrestrained, not bound by obligations of laws, free from the yoke of bondage of Mosaic law): 2Cor 3:17.

I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Works (plural) is allegoric for both grace and law, law being "added" to "grace is sufficient", and oft by ministers of Satan (2Cor 11:15) whose end shall be according to their "works": life + death = dead end; making grace + law(added), thereby making grace "no more grace"; and such grace + law is as life + death, having a dead end which also makes life no more life. Yet John twists it, brings accusation and condemnation blame game of law, calls for a return to law rather than for abolition of law. For law no more likes grace added than grace likes law added, the two (Gods) being as contrary as <=BC | AD=>; the mixture of contrary things being oxymoronic. And the only name by which thou livest and art dead is law: ministration of death. For by the hallowed name (above every name) of our Father, and of Jesus Christ: grace, thou only livest.

Revelation 3:2 "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God."

Be watchful (gregoreuo)? Indeed, in Mk 13:37, both the disciples and "all" are told to "watch" ('gregoreuo'): 'be cautious, take heed lest through remission and indolence some destructive calamity suddenly overtake one'.

But such ("watch") is notably before the cross, where both "fear" and "fear not" are told disciples under law; And if the truth be known (and it shall be, for Jn 8:32 is not optional) both such Do-teronomy & Don't-eronomy oxymoronic law law things produce "fear hath torment" via "evil concupiscence" of law: for such concupiscence of law, via the curse of the law, adds an overwhelming evil desire to do the very things forbidden, also the rebellion and hindrance not to do what's demanded to be done. Legalistic mothers do it oft to children, even if just saying: "be careful"... producing worrisome thoughts of demons behind every bush in their children, who seldom grow out of legalistic fear (torment thereof) as adults. And worry (sourced in love + fear, ending with "fear hath torment") attracts trouble like a giant magnet. After the cross (where law nailed as "enmity" and grace goes on through to risen and seated) we find no mention of fear at all, nor any mention of watch by the risen Lord, only of  peace.

He is our "peace" who hath "abolished the law". Through J=>C: the end of the law, perfect love (God) has no fear (hath torment), via purified grace being thereby void of law (added). The message we have heard of him (from the beginning, where the end is declared: is 46:10) and declare unto you is: "that God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all" (1Jn 1:5). Such things are an allegory, written aforetime for our learning: Rom 15:4. To wit, that God was in "Christ" (the end of the law) reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing sin: 2Cor 5:19. To=>wit, To=>day[light], speak of directionally going fwd to us-ward, you-ward, God-ward; as Heb 6:1 speaks of "go on" unto "perfection", notably by leaving (good/better) "principles" for what's best of (good/better)=> best, and such is notably best for all, not some only.

For clarity, we find mention of "watch"(gregereuo) by Paul, but such is only to carnal folk, children in understanding. The greater Pauline exhortation is "be no more children" (Eph 4), neither sort mentioned in Rom 9; Also be no servant (Gal 4), neither sort mentioned in Rom 6. And when it comes to the conclusion of Pauline epistles, including Hebrews & Revelation, we find the Pauline salutation, and notably by his own hand, is all grace and no law at all, as what's best of three things (good vs better)=> best. What's best, and for all, is no mention of law. For only thereby do none perish: no law = no sin = no death. For law is the source and strength of sin (the strong man of the hse of sin) which brings forth death as a "sting" to all when any unaware God's "grace is sufficient" (no law req'd). Hence law not only abolished by C of JC, but blotted out to the point what's "ready to vanish" (Heb 8:13) "shall vanish" (1`Cor 13:9). So what's authored by the head of the body (Christ) is to be carried out by the body of Christ. What's authored by Christ is the end of the law... to the point law (sin & death) vanishes.

John, as one of the three top dogs which Paul said to beware of ("beware of dogs"), is the one who notably turned back to law (like a "dog" turned to his vomit: 2Pet 2:20). He subtly suggests strengthen law (a snare to beware). For he, among other Jews, were doing sacrifices "of the law" to law long after the cross (sacrifice which is of the law never ever pleased God, whose will is: "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice"). Hence we have modern allegoric satire like 'Johnny law' for law makers and law enforcers, the toilet being 'the John', also pimps and victims called 'Johns'. My favorite allegoric satire is a modern song line: who let the "dogs" out.

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."

Here we have a law threat, the threat of vengeful (Son of man) "law worketh wrath", threatening to come as a "thief" upon those who do not adhere to law. And the grace us Son of God compared himself to the thief in Jn 10:10, noting the thief (law) cometh not, but for to steal, and kill, and destroy; Whereas he is come (with grace and truth) that they might have life, and more abundantly than grace + law, which is life + death, a dead end. The Son of God would never come as a thief, stating he is not come to destroy (law), but to fulfill (grace). For God did not send His Son to condemn (law) the world, no, not this, but rather that: that through him the world might be saved: Jn 3:17. And with regard to not know or know, to them or us, it's "them" (law folk, Adamic folk: Gen 5:2) who "know not", and who do err, alway, as do "ye" of ye/you; whereas you of such ye/you is made perfect (made grace void of law, made love void of fear) by the knowing of the truth (about law). As for watching, which implies fear, such command to watch, and to fear, was notably given before the cross. What comes after the cross (where law got nailed as enmity) is peace, via the abolition of the law (the enmity).

Revelation 3:4 "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."

Here we have partiality (respect of persons), which is neither a trait of God nor Son of God: for "there is no respect of persons with God" and even the Herodians perceived there was no respect of persons with the Son of God either. Whatever applies to any applies to all. For "we all are one". Just as law imputing sin makes sinners all, none righteous, and the no enter lists of law exclude all; so also grace void of law makes all righteous, and the blessed lists include all. Either way it's all, but with law it's sinners all, and with grace it's sinners none. To wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself: not imputing sin (trespasses)... 2Cor 5:19.

Revelation 3:5 "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."

Again we have subversion, deceiving, bewitching, calling for striving for what has already been "freely given" of God: salvation by grace, by grace void of law, by law being abolished. Such striving results in what the song line says: I fought the law and the law won. For law, being both source and strength of sin, uses your strength against you. The moment you fight it, you lose. True overcoming is flushing law rather than fighting it; All law, whether written in stone or ink, even the better of twain laws in Rom 8, is to be "done away" (1Cor 13; 2Cor 3), "abolished" (Eph 2), "blotted out" (Col 2), "put away" as a "put off" (1Cor 13:11; Eph 4: 22,31; Col 3:8,9). Let law be "dead" testator of NT (Heb 9), "taken away" (Heb 10) to establish grace. Else the latter end may be worse, instead of better, via being sow dog gone law <= law.

Only law imputes sin: Rom 5;13, which in turn brings forth death: 1Cor 15:56; James 1:15, and blots out everyone from the book of life. For since "there is no respect of persons with God", the book of life would contain all; Not to mention with that God there are no books of life and death, only a book of life. Revelation, which ends the Holy Bible containing Old and New Testaments, is Pauline ended with pure grace (no mention of law), making it a book of life (instead of books of life and death) and the Holy Bible (instead of a Holy Holy Bible)... said Holy Bible (KJV) being the seventh, as one made better from six previous versions which were good, purposed to make God's holy truth ("grace is sufficient") the more known. And the end thereof is what's best for all of good better best: no law, not even the mention of law.

Revelation 3:6 "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."

Seven times we hear the exact same Pauline exhortation following John's seven attempts to subvert seven angels of and in seven churches of Asia. And seven times it notably speaks of having "an ear" (singular), also mentions "let" him h-ear "what the (singular) Spirit saith", and notably saith "unto the churches". Such is found in Galatains (not in Revelation); For Galatians is the only biblical book specifically written "unto the churches". And "the Spirit" would not subvert, nor tempt, nor accuse, nor condemn, nor fault find, nor show partiality, as is done oft in Revelation which patches John's book into what's written and thereby ended well by Paul. Our test of endurance is to wade through such gloom-y law "prophecy", endure to the end.

Revelation 3:7-13 - unto the angel of the church in Philadelphia ... cont'd on next page