Revelation 3:11

Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. BEHOLD. Omitted by 'Aleph (') A B C, Vulgate, Coptic, Syriac. I COME QUICKLY - the great incentive to faithfulness, and the consolation under trials. THAT FAST WHICH THOU HAST - "the word of my patience" (), just commended to them for keeping: involving with it the attaining of the kingdom. This they would lose if they exchanged consistency and suffering for compromise and ease. THAT NO MAN TAKE THY CROWN - that no tempter cause thee to loss what otherwise thou wouldst receive: not that the tempter would secure it for himself ()....

7-13 The same Lord Jesus has the key of government and authority in and over the church. He opens a door of opportunity to his churches; he opens a door of utterance to his ministers; he opens a door of entrance, opens the heart. He shuts the door of heaven against the foolish, who sleep away their day of grace; and against the workers of iniquity, how vain and confident soever they may be. The church in Philadelphia is commended; yet with a gentle reproof. Although Christ accepts a little strength, yet believers must not rest satisfied in a little, but strive to grow in grace, to be strong in faith, giving glory to God. Christ can discover this his favour to his people, so that their enemies shall be forced to acknowledge it. This, by the grace of Christ, will soften their enemies, and make them desire to be admitted into communion with his people. Christ promises preserving grace in t...

Verse Revelation 3:11. _BEHOLD, I COME QUICKLY_] These things will shortly take place; and I am coming with _consolations_ and _rewards_ to my faithful followers, and with _judgments_ to my adversaries. _TAKE THY CROWN._] God has provided mansions for you; let none through your fall occupy those seats of blessedness....

BEHOLD, I COME QUICKLY - That is, in the trials referred to. Compare the notes on Revelation 1:1, Revelation 1:11, Revelation 1:16. HOLD THAT FAST WHICH THOU HAST - That is, whatever of truth and piety you now possess. See the notes on Revelation 3:3. THAT NO MAN TAKE THY CROWN - The crown of life appointed for all who are true believers. See the notes on 2 Timothy 4:8. The truth which is taught bore is, that by negligence o

EXPOSITION REVELATION 3:1 _The epistle to the Church at Sardis. _This Church is one of the two which receives unmixed reproof. Smyrna and Philadelphia receive no blame; Sardis and Laodicea receive no praise. Sardis lies almost due south of Thyatira, on the road to Philadelphia, between the river Hermus and Mount Tmolus. It had been in turn Lydian, Persian, Greek, and Roman, and, like its last Lydian king, Croesus, had been celebrated for its wealth. The auriferous stream Pactolus, in summer almost dry, flowed through its marketplace; but its chief source of wealth was its trade. In A.D. 17 "twelve famous cities of Asia fell by an earthquake in the night … The calamity fell most heavily on the people of Sardis, and it attracted to them the largest share of sympathy. The emperor [Tiberius] promised ten million sesterces (£85,000), and remitted

BEHOLD, I COME QUICKLY,.... To bring on this hour of temptation on the reformed churches, which will be at the beginning of this period; to help and deliver, save and preserve the truly godly among them; to destroy antichrist, and introduce the latter day glory: HOLD THAT FAST WHICH THOU HAST; either her grace in the exercise of it, as her faith, patience, c. or rather the doctrines of the Gospel, and the ordinances of it, which she had received, as delivered by Christ and his apostles: and which she had held in the truth and purity of them, and is now exhorted to hold them fast, since this hour of temptation would be a trying time to her faith, patience, integrity, and constancy: THAT NO MAN TAKE THY CROWN not eternal happiness, called a crown of life, glory, and righteousness, and which was prepared for her, and promised to her, and would be certainly given her; nor was there any dan...

CHAPTER 3 Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea _ 1. Sardis: The reformation period (Revelation 3:1)_ 2. Philadelphia: The faithful remnant (Revelation 3:7) 3. Laodicea: The indifferent and apostate Church (Revelation 3:14) Revelation 3:1 . We have traced briefly the decline during the 1450-1500 years of Church history. The climax is reached in Thyatira, prophetically the Roman abomination and apostasy. In Sardis we see the progress of evil stayed. Roman Catholicism, as already mentioned, is a fixed and unchanging religious system. Rome will yet have for a brief season a startling rev

REVELATION 2:1 TO REVELATION 3:22. THE LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES. These letters are addressed to individual churches, but their messages are intended for the Church as a whole. In every letter there occurs the phrase, He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches....

_PHILADELPHIA_ STOOD ABOUT TWENTY MILES FROM SARDIS AND WAS THE SECOND CITY IN IMPORTANCE IN THE PROVINCE OF LYDIA. IT IS FIRST MENTIONED IN REVELATION, AND THE PRAISES BESTOWED UPON THE CHURCH SHOW THAT IT WAS WORTHY OF. CITY OF _BROTHERLY LOVE._ THOUGH THE OLD NAME HAS BEEN LAID ASIDE BY THE TURKS, THE CITY STILL HAS THREE THOUSAND HOUSES AND. CHRISTIAN POPULATION. THERE ARE SAID TO BE FIVE CHURCHES IN THE PLACE, AND IT IS THE SEAT OF. GREEK BISHOP. THE SEVEN CHURCHES.--At the time when John wrote there were hundreds of churches in existence. On the Asiatic Continent many had been founded in Judea, Syria, and elsewhere, and in the district of which Ephesus was the commercial metropolis, and which was especially designated as _Asia,_ we know that in the last quarter of the first century there were not only the seven churches named, but Colossae, Hierapolis, and perhaps many more. Why th...

THE LETTER TO SARDIS (Revelation 3:1-6)...