Rev 3:1 The Scriptures 1998+ 1 “And to the messenger of the assembly in Sardis write, ‘He who has the seven Spirits of Elohim and the seven stars, says this, “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.”
In order to get a better understanding of this verse, it is necessary for us to go back a look at the verses having “seven” in them. Hopefully, by doing this we will get a clearer picture of what YAHWEH Elohim has given HIS messenger to reveal to Yohanan (John).
Revelation 1:4 “Yoḥanan, to the seven assemblies that are in Asia: Favour to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is coming, and from the seven Spirits that are before His throne…”
Revelation 1:12 “And I turned to see the voice which spoke with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands…”
Revelation 1:16 “And in His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was as the sun shining in its strength.”
Revelation 1:20 ““The secret of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are messengers of the seven assemblies, and the seven lampstands which you saw are seven assemblies.
Seven, as we understand number usage, signifies “complete, perfect, entire.”
So, from the above references, it appears that;
The seven assemblies are a type of the entirety, completed and perfect Body of Messiah.
The seven Spirits refer to The perfecting, completing work of The Set-Apart Spirit of YAHWEH in and through true believers.
The seven Stars are messengers (those entrusted with HIS Word) to the seven assembles (lampstands) throughout the world.
The seven golden lampstands refer to the entire assembly worldwide.
For further confirmation, consider these verses:
In Revelation 5:4 we see, “And out of the throne came lightnings, and thunders, and voices. And seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of Elohim.”
Luke 3:16 “Yoḥanan answered, saying to them all, “I indeed immerse you in water, but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal straps I am not worthy to loosen. He shall immerse you in the Set-apart Spirit and fire.”
And then in Revelation 5:6 “And I looked and saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing, as having been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of Elohim sent out into all the earth.”
I believe that within each of the seven assemblies, is contained a portion of The Body of Messiah. And all seven together will finally comprise the completion / perfection of the entirety of The Perfect Body of Messiah! In other words, in each assembly there are those who, through belief and the power of HIS Spirit, are doing The Father’s will.” There are also those, as represented among each assembly, who do not believe and are simply imitating those who are believers. The latter look act and sound like the former. The Master addressed this imitation in Matthew 13 regarding “wheat / tares.” (see article on “The Parable of The Bride & The Whore”)
To those in Sardis, The Master states that they “have a name” (notoriety, authority, reputation, etc), that they are alive…but HE sees them as “dead!”
The Master is addressing their facade. HE is saying that they are known as an entity that is supposed to possess authority, supposed to be walking in life, representing the ONE Who was dead and now is alive, but it’s all fake; a facade.
The Master’s intention is that those who profess belief should live under HIS authority and power being wide awake to HIS Purposes. They evidently see themselves as wide awake, but because they have stopped short HIS Spirit’s work of completion, Yahshua sees them as dead. Consider:
2 Timothy 3:1-5 “But know this, that in the last days hard times shall come. For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, thankless, wrong-doers, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, haters of good, betrayers, reckless, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of Elohim, having a form (an appearance) of reverencebut denying its power. And turn away from these!”
Revelation 3:2 “Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before Elohim. 3 “Remember, then, how you have received, and heard. And watch and repent. If, then, you do not wake up, I shall come upon you as a thief, and you shall not know at all what hour I come upon you.
The Master sees that their belief is eroding away through their preoccupation with the worldly approach to serving HIM. HE reminds them that they initially “received, and heard” by belief. They are told to wake up before it’s too late! Consider the words of Jude;
Jude 1:17-21 “But you, beloved ones, remember the words spoken before by the emissaries of our Master Yahshua Messiah, because they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own wicked lusts.
These are the ones who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. But you, beloved ones, building yourselves up on your most set-apart belief, praying in the Set-apart Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of Elohim, looking for the compassion of our Master Yahshua Messiah unto everlasting life.”
We are commanded to be perfect! Consider the words of The Master to the rich man who desired to enter into The Kingdom:
Matthew 19:21-22 “…יהושע (Yahshua) said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven. And come, follow Me.” And when the young man heard the word, he went away sad, because he had many possessions.”
The love of possessions will hinder HIS Spirit from completing the process.
The Spirit of YAH IS YAH, The Spirit! Be filled with HIM / HIS Spirit!
Acts 13:52 “And the taught ones were filled with joy and the Set-apart Spirit.”
The presence of fear in one’s life is a clear indication that perfection is being hindered… Consider;
1 John 4:17-18 “By this love (YAH IS LOVE) has been perfected with us, in order that we might have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear holds punishment, and he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” In other words IS NOT MADE PERFECT IN YAH. (See article, “Cleaned Up – But Not Filled!)
Revelation 3:4-6 “Nevertheless, you have a few names in Sardis who have not defiled their garments. And they shall walk with Me in white, because they are worthy. 5 “He who overcomes shall be dressed in white robes, and I shall by no means blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I shall confess his name before My Father and before His messengers. 6 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.” ’
YAHWEH always has a remnant. A trustworthy few in each assembly and in each generation who are consistent in the process of Overcoming! Pursuing the things of this world, is in the way of HIM completing HIS Work in us!
Again, there are those who have a “name”, but are dead while they live… In the final tally it matters not what we say about ourselves nor one another. What matters is what The Master says about us…
Some do not believe and only imitate those who do (believe) until they reach a point and cease to continue with their facade. Eventually proving their unbelief by returning to the lawless way from which they came…
1Jn 2:19 “They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have stayed with us – but in order that it might be made manifest that none of them were of us.”