Revelation 3:12

Him 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. PILLAR IN THE TEMPLE. In one sense there shall be 'no temple' in the heavenly city, because there shall be no distinction of things sacred and secular; for all shall be holy to the Lord. The city shall be one great temple, in which the saints shall be not merely stones, as in the spiritual temple on earth, but eminent as pillars: immovably firm (unlike Philadelphia, the city so often shaken by earthquakes, Strabo, 12 and 13:), like the colossal pillars before Solomon's temple, Boaz (i:e., 'in it is strength') and Jachin ('it shall be established'). Those pillars were outside, these shall be within the te...

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 3:12. _A PILLAR IN THE TEMPLE_] There is probably all allusion here to the _two pillars_ in the temple of Jerusalem, called _Jachin_ and _Boaz_, stability and strength. The _Church_ is the _temple_; CHRIST is the _foundation_ on which it is built; and his _ministers_ are the PILLARS by which, under him, it is adorned and supported. St. Paul has the same allusions, Galatians 2:9. _I WILL WRITE UPON HIM THE NAME OF MY GOD_] That is, I will make him a _priest_ unto myself. The priest had written on his forehead ליהוה קודש _kodesh laihovah_, "Holiness to the Lord." _AND THE NAME OF THE CITY OF MY GOD_] As the high priest had on his breastplate the names of the twelve tribes engraved

HIM THAT OVERCOMETH - See the notes on Revelation 2:7. WILL MAKE A PILLAR IN THE TEMPLE OF MY GOD - See the introductory remarks to this epistle. The promised reward of faithfulness here is, that he who was victorious would be honored as if he were a pillar or column in the temple of God. Such a pillar or column was partly for ornament, and partly for support; and the idea here is, that in that temple he would contribute to its beauty and the justness of its proportions, and would see the same time be honored as if he were a pillar which was necessary for the support of the temple. It is not uncommon in the New Testament to represent the church as a temple, and Christians as parts of it. See 1 Corinthians 3:16;...

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

HE THAT OVERCOMETH,.... In the hour of temptation, in this period of time; that stands his ground then, sustains the shock of the beast, with courage and intrepidity, and overcomes him: WILL I MAKE A PILLAR IN THE TEMPLE OF MY GOD; by which is meant not the church triumphant, though such will have a place, and an abiding one there; but the church militant, so called in allusion to the temple at Jerusalem, for its author, matter, situation, strength, solidity, magnificence, and stateliness, and for its holiness; and may be said to be the temple of God, because it is of his building, and is the place where he dwells, and is worshipped; and the temple of Christ's God, as he is man and Mediator, through whom all worship is given to God in it; and those who are overcomers by the grace and strength of Christ are made pillars by him here, in allusion to the two pillars, Jachin and Boaz, in Sol...

GO NO MORE See (Psalms 23:6). Contrast (Hebrews 13:14)....

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...