Resource Detail

Revelation Lecture 5

WAKE UP!

Revelation 2:18-3:6

Key Verse 3:2

1. What kind of city was Thyatira (2:18a)? Why does Jesus introduce himself as “the Son of God,” with “eyes like blazing fire” and “feet like burnished bronze” (18b)? What does Jesus commend the church in Thyatira for (19)?
2. What does Jesus mean when he says that the church “tolerates” Jezebel, and why does he call this woman “Jezebel” (20; 1 Kings 16:30-33; 21:25-26)? Why does Jesus pronounce such severe judgment on Jezebel and those who follow her (21-23a)? What does the statement “I am he who searches hearts and minds” reveal about Jesus (23b)?
3. What does Jesus mean by commanding them to “hold on to what you have” until he comes (24-25)? What does it mean that those who are victorious will rule the nations “with an iron scepter” and “dash them to pieces like pottery” (26-27)? What is “the morning star,” and what does Jesus promise by giving it to those who are victorious (28-29)?
4. What does it mean that the church in Sardis had a reputation for being alive but was actually dead (3:1)? Why does Jesus command them to “wake up” and “strengthen what remains and is about to die” (2)? What were they to remember and obey (3)?
5. What does it mean that a few people in Sardis had “not soiled their clothes” (4)? What promises does Jesus give to those who are victorious (5-6)? What does the promise of being “dressed in white” mean?

Revelation Lecture 5 Sep. 6, 2026

WAKE UP!

Revelation 2:18-3:6

Key Verse 3:2

“Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.”

Have you ever heard the story of a frog in a pot of water? People say that if you drop a frog into boiling water, it will jump out immediately. But if you put it in cool water and raise the temperature very slowly, the frog will not recognize the danger. It will remain in the pot until the water becomes so hot that it dies. This is not reliable science, but it is a helpful parable about gradual spiritual decline. If someone suddenly told us, “Stop believing in Jesus,” we would immediately recognize the danger and resist. But spiritual decline usually happens little by little. Our prayers gradually become shorter. Then we begin missing Sunday worship once in a while to do other things. One small compromise leads to another. Eventually, we can become spiritually asleep without realizing it. Today Jesus speaks to two churches, Thyatira and Sardis. To one church he says, “You tolerate that woman Jezebel.” To the other he says, “Wake up!”

Let us first study Jesus’ message to the church in Thyatira. Thyatira was located about forty miles southeast of Pergamum. Compared with Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamum, it was neither large nor politically important. Yet it was a busy and prosperous commercial city, especially famous for its many trade guilds.

A trade guild was something like a combination of a modern labor union, professional association, business network, and religious society. Thyatira had guilds for wool workers, linen workers, garment makers, dyers, leather workers, tanners, potters, bakers, bronze workers, metalworkers, and even slave traders. Membership protected one’s business interests, brought customers and valuable connections, and provided social support.

The problem was that each guild normally had a patron god. Guild meetings often included religious ceremonies and banquets connected with a temple. Members offered sacrifices, ate food offered to idols, and sometimes honored the Roman emperor. Some celebrations were also associated with drunkenness and sexual immorality.

This put Christians in a serious conflict. If a believer participated, he could compromise his faith by engaging in idolatry and immorality. If he refused, people might consider him antisocial. He could lose customers and business opportunities, and his family could suffer financially. Following Jesus carried a real economic cost.

Jesus says to the church in Thyatira: “I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.” Jesus commends their love, faith, service, and perseverance. They loved Jesus, cared for one another, served the needy, encouraged struggling believers, and supported those who were suffering because of their faith. Even more remarkably, Jesus says, “You are now doing more than you did at first.” This is especially meaningful because the church in Ephesus had lost the love it had at first. The church in Thyatira, however, was growing in love and service.

However, they had a serious problem. Please look at verse 20: “Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.” What was their problem? Jesus says, “You tolerate that woman Jezebel.” Who was this woman called Jezebel? Most likely, Jezebel was not her real name. Jesus gave her this symbolic name because her character and influence were similar to those of Jezebel in the Old Testament. She married Ahab, king of Israel. She was a devoted worshiper of Baal, the Canaanite god associated with fertility, storms, and agricultural prosperity. Jezebel actively promoted Baal worship throughout Israel. She supported hundreds of prophets of Baal and Asherah, while persecuting and killing the prophets of the Lord. Under her influence, idolatry became deeply rooted in the nation. She was manipulative, deceptive, cruel, and determined to get what she wanted. She used religion, political authority, false testimony, and even murder to achieve her purposes. Most seriously, Jezebel influenced Ahab and the people of Israel to abandon their covenant relationship with God.

The woman in Thyatira was similar to the Old Testament Jezebel in several important ways. The Jezebel in Thyatira called herself a prophet. She claimed to speak for God and apparently exercised considerable influence within the church. She may have appeared spiritual, confident, and persuasive. She may have claimed to receive special revelations from God. But her teaching contradicted God’s truth. She apparently taught Christians that they could follow Jesus while also participating in idolatry. Her message may have been, “You can worship Jesus in your heart while participating in the guild ceremonies.” Her teaching offered a comfortable Christianity—a Christianity without sacrifice, separation, or persecution. Notice that Jesus calls those being misled “my servants.” They did not belong to Jezebel. They belonged to Jesus. But this woman was using her influence to draw his servants away from faithfulness to him. Jesus says that she misled his servants “into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.”

Jesus’ rebuke is directed not only at Jezebel but also at the church: “You tolerate that woman Jezebel.” Many believers may have personally rejected her teaching. But they allowed her to continue teaching and influencing others. Perhaps they wanted to avoid conflict. Perhaps she was influential or wealthy. Perhaps some people admired her spiritual experiences. Perhaps the church thought it was being patient, loving, and open-minded. But Jesus called it tolerance of evil.

There is a kind of tolerance that reflects the grace of Jesus. We should be patient with immature believers, bear with one another’s weaknesses, and welcome sinners who want to come to Christ. The church should never be harsh or self-righteous. But there is another kind of tolerance that allows false teaching to spread and people to be destroyed. That kind of tolerance is not love. If a teaching leads the servants of Jesus into idolatry and immorality, remaining silent does not protect people; it abandons them.

The church in Ephesus tested false apostles and rejected their teaching, but it had lost its first love. The church in Thyatira was growing in love and service, but it tolerated false teaching. One church had truth without enough love. The other had love without enough truth. Jesus wants his church to have both. We must love people deeply, but we must also hold firmly to the truth. Genuine love helps people come out of darkness and return to Jesus. True love does not say, “Everything is acceptable.” True love says, “You belong to Jesus. Do not allow anything to take his place in your heart.”

Now let us turn to Jesus’ message to the church in Sardis. Look at Revelation 3:1: “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.” Sardis was located about thirty miles southeast of Thyatira. It was one of the oldest and most famous cities in Asia Minor. Sardis had once been the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia. Much of Sardis’s wealth came from its location and natural resources. The Pactolus River flowed near the city and carried deposits of gold. Sardis became an important center for refining gold and producing coins. Because of this, it became a prosperous center of business and cultural exchange. However, by the first century, Sardis was no longer the powerful capital it had once been. In A.D. 17, a major earthquake devastated Sardis. The Roman emperor Tiberius provided financial assistance to rebuild it. Out of gratitude, Sardis demonstrated strong loyalty to Rome. Sardis was still active, but it lived under the shadow of its past.

Jesus says: “These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.” What do the seven spirits refer to? The number seven represents completeness and fullness. “The seven spirits of God” refers to the Holy Spirit in his fullness and perfection. Therefore, Jesus is introducing himself as the one who possesses and sends the fullness of the Holy Spirit. This description is especially meaningful for the church in Sardis. The church needs the life-giving presence and power of the Holy Spirit. A church may have a building, an organization, regular meetings, Bible studies, and a respected history. But only the Holy Spirit can give spiritual life. Only the Spirit can awaken people’s hearts, produce genuine repentance, renew their love for Jesus, and empower them to become his witnesses.

Jesus says: “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” These are some of the most shocking words Jesus speaks to any of the seven churches. The church in Sardis had “a reputation of being alive.” They had made a name for themselves as a living and active church. Perhaps Sardis was known as a successful church. Other believers may have admired it. People may have said, “The church in Sardis is doing very well. It is active, growing, and influential.” Perhaps the church had many members, gifted leaders, generous offerings, and various ministries. From the outside, everything may have appeared peaceful and successful. There was little conflict, little opposition, and perhaps little suffering. The church had learned how to exist comfortably within the culture of the city.

Everyone else said that the church was alive, but Jesus said, “You are dead.” It means that the church as a whole was in a condition of severe spiritual decline. They still had the appearance of Christianity, but little genuine love for Jesus. They had worship services, but little true worship. They had Bible knowledge, but little obedience. Their bodies were present in the church, but their hearts were far from God. The Bible does not tell us exactly how the church reached this condition. But they may have become comfortable with the surrounding culture. The believers in Smyrna suffered because they refused to compromise. Antipas in Pergamum died because he remained faithful to Jesus. But no persecution is mentioned in Sardis. Perhaps the believers had learned to avoid anything that might make the surrounding society uncomfortable. They may have kept their faith private and adjusted their lifestyle to the values of the city. They may have avoided speaking about sin, repentance, judgment, and the exclusive lordship of Jesus. By becoming acceptable to everyone, they may have lost their distinct identity as the people of God.

Jesus’ words to Sardis call us to examine ourselves honestly. As a church, we also have a name, a history, and a reputation. We thank God for those who sacrificed and served before us. We thank God for our Bible studies, worship services, prayer meetings, retreats, campus ministry, and world mission. But we cannot assume that we are spiritually alive simply because we continue these activities. The important question is not merely, “Are we doing many things?” The important question is, “Is Jesus living and working among us?” Are people meeting Jesus personally through the word of God? Are we sincerely repenting of our sins? Are broken relationships being healed? Are we being raised as disciples of Jesus? Are we depending on the Holy Spirit?

A living church is a church in which Jesus is present, and the Holy Spirit is working. In a living church, the word of God awakens people’s hearts. In a living church, sinners repent and receive the grace of forgiveness. In a living church, wounded people are cared for and restored. In a living church, believers genuinely love one another. In a living church, the power of the Holy Spirit is revealed through prayer. In a living church, people grow as disciples of Jesus. Is our church alive or dead?

What is the command of Jesus to the church in Sardis? “Wake up!” Jesus says to us, “Wake up! If you are dying, or if you are sleeping, wake up!” It is a powerful wake-up call from Jesus. A sleeping person does not know that he is asleep. In the same way, spiritually sleeping people may not realize that they have fallen asleep. They may continue attending worship services, studying the Bible, and serving in ministry. But inwardly, they have lost their awareness of God. Their relationship with Jesus has been broken. Spiritual sleep is a condition in which we become insensitive to God. When we are spiritually awake, we are conscious of God’s presence. His words speak to us personally. Sin troubles our conscience. Prayer is a real conversation with God. But when we fall asleep spiritually, our hearts become insensitive. We hear God’s word, but it does not penetrate our hearts. We sin, but we do not feel deeply troubled. We see people suffering, but we feel no compassion. We pray, but our minds and hearts are far away.

Spiritual awakening begins when the voice of Jesus reaches us. Jesus comes to the sleeping church and calls out, “Wake up!” His words are like an alarm sounding in the darkness. It says, “You cannot continue like this. Open your eyes. Return to God!” When awakening comes, people become deeply aware that the living God is among them. People begin to see the seriousness of their sins. They confess their sins honestly and turn back to God. They begin to seek God earnestly. They cry out for his mercy, listen for his voice, and depend on the Holy Spirit. Love for Jesus is renewed. Worship becomes sincere. Broken relationships are restored. Believers begin to share the gospel with courage and compassion.

We often pray, “Lord, bring revival to our church. Bring awakening to our city and nation.” This is a good prayer. But spiritual awakening does not begin with “those people.” It begins with me. I cannot remain spiritually asleep while waiting for everyone else to wake up. I must hear the voice of Jesus personally: “Wake up!” It is easy to say, “Our church needs revival.” But Jesus asks, “Are you awake?”

Historically, whenever his churches were spiritually dying, God used a few servants to bring about great spiritual awakenings. One of the best-known examples was the First Great Awakening in America during the 1730s and 1740s. At that time, many people attended church, but Christianity had become formal and spiritually lifeless. God used Jonathan Edwards to awaken people’s hearts. On July 8, 1741, he preached his famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” He warned people about the seriousness of sin and the coming judgment of God: “The wrath of God is like great waters that are dammed for the present; they increase more and more.” As Edwards preached, many people became deeply convicted of their sins and cried out for salvation. His message was clear: “Wake up, repent, and come to Christ.”

Our church also needs to hear this command. We need the living presence of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit today. How, then, can a spiritually sleeping church wake up? Jesus gives two practical commands: “Strengthen” and “Remember.” Look at verses 2–3: “Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard.”

First, strengthen what remains. Jesus says, “Strengthen what remains and is about to die.” The church in Sardis was in critical spiritual condition, but something still remained. There were still traces of faith, love, prayer, truth, and obedience. However, these things were weak and “about to die.” Jesus said, “Strengthen what remains.” Perhaps some believers in Sardis still prayed sincerely. Perhaps a few still loved the word of God. Perhaps some still resisted the surrounding culture and tried to live faithfully. These things seemed small and weak, but Jesus did not despise them. He commanded the church to recognize them, protect them, and strengthen them. Do you still have even a small desire to pray? Strengthen it. Does one word of God still remain in your heart? Hold on to it. Do you still feel sorrow over your spiritual condition? Do not ignore it. Do you still desire to return to Jesus, even though your desire feels weak? Come to him with that small desire. Bring to Jesus what remains. Spiritual restoration often begins with a small act of obedience: opening the Bible again, kneeling to pray again, returning to worship, confessing one hidden sin, or asking another believer for help. A small flame must be protected before it goes out. In the same way, when we recognize even a small work of God in our hearts, we should nourish it through the word, prayer, worship, repentance, and fellowship.

Second, remember what you have received and heard. We need to remember the gospel and the word of God we have received. We have heard that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for our sins and rose again from the dead. We have received forgiveness, eternal life, and a new relationship with God through faith in Jesus. We have received the grace of Jesus. We have received the Holy Spirit. We need to remember all these things if we want to wake up spiritually.

Today, Jesus commands us, “Wake up!” May we hear his voice deep in our hearts and wake up from our spiritual sleep. May God send revival to our church. Amen.