Revelation 3:4-5
What is written? (ESV)
Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
What does it say?
There are still a few individuals at Sardis that have not soiled their garments and will walk with me in white because they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life, confessing his name before my Father and before His angels.
What is its immediate context?
A letter to the church at Sardis, the fifth of seven letters written to the seven churches of Asia from Jesus. They had a reputation of being alive, but Jesus knew them to be dead based on their works (vs 1) and he calls them to “repent” and “wake up” (vs 3). Each of the seven letters have a “To the one that conquers…” statement from Jesus, but each with a different ending…
- “…I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” (2:7)
- “…will not be hurt by the second death.” (2:11)
- “…I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.” (2:17)
- “…and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star.” (2:26-28)
- “…will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” (3:5)
- “…I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.” (3:12)
- “…I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.” (3:21)
Gathering all of these statements together, we get a complete picture of what awaits “the one that conquers.”
How Revelation 3:4-5 is applied across Bible answers
What is the second death in Revelation?
There were those at the church in Sardis (e.g. Christians) who were in jeopardy of the second death. While some continued to walk with Jesus, many/most were "dead" with "soiled garments" (e.g. practicing sin).
In addition to Sardis, the other six letters also include an aspect of the reward for "the one who conquers".
