Part 3A

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The Hebraic Book of Revelation – Part 3A

Rev 3:1 And to the angel of the congregation in Sardis write; These things says He that has the seven ruachim of vuvh, and the seven cochavim; I know your mitzvoth, that you have a name that you live, and yet are dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found your mitzvoth perfect before vuvh.

To the admonition to be watchful held special meaning to Sardis, because it twice had fallen to an enemy due to lack of vigilance on the part of the inhabitants. 

In 549 BCE Cyrus captured the acropolis by deploying a climber to scale up a crevice in one of the near perpendicular walls of the mountain fortress. 

Late in the 3rd century BCE it was captured again in the same way. A Cretan by the name of Lagoras found a nice crack and with 15 men ascended and opened the gates from within allowing the armies of Antiochus the Great to overpower the rebel Archaeus (216BCE).

An old bible saying: “as in history so in life, to consider oneself secure and fail to remain vigilant is to court disaster.”

1 Cor 10:12.”Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but יהוה is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Sardis was one of the most powerful cities in the ancient world; 

yet by the Roman period it’s been best described by historians as, “a relic of the period of barbaric warfare which lived on its past prestige rather than its suitability to the present period.”

3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and make teshuvah. If therefore you shall not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you shall not know what hour I will come upon you. 4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white: for they are worthy.

As the center of wool garment dying this would have had deep meaning to the community.

It could also connect back to the temple traditions: 

…naked and ashamed – trial by fire found blind, naked and ashamed – V. 18.

3:5 He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the Scroll of Chayim…

Exo 32:32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

Ps. 69: 28 They that hate me without cause, mine enemies,  Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

Dan 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

Rev 3:5 but I will confess his name before My Abba, and before His heavenly malachim.

Greek: exomologeō to confess > homologeō

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

1.  Confess/Homologeō/nadar נדר/to take a vow. Word and deed, not repeat after me these words. Homo = one action of word and deed. 

Jer 44:15 Then all the men who knew that their wives had made offerings to other gods, and all the women who stood by, a great assembly, all the people who lived in Pathros in the land of Egypt, answered Jeremiah: 16 “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of יהוה , we will not listen to you. 17But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to the queen of heaven.  

Lk 12:47 The lord of that servant will come in the day that he hopeth not, and at the hour that he knoweth not: and shall separate him and shall appoint him his portion with unbelievers. 47  And that servant, who knew the will of his lord and prepared not himself and did not according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48  But he that knew not and did things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes.

2.   Believe/pisteuō/shama – to put ones faith in with the implication that actions will follow. 

3.   Saved: has so many different functions with various forms of salvation…

2 Corinthians 1:6: And whether we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation, being worked out in enduring the same sufferings, which we also suffer; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort and salvation.

Saved from the power of sin, not into the eternal state. 

Philippians 1:19: For I know that this shall turn into my salvation through your prayer, and the gifts the spirit of Yahusha the Messiah. 

Philippians 2:12: Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

faith in action saves from the power of sin, and bears proof to coming the eternal state. 

Matt 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.