Nevertheless, in every age our Father has had faithful servants, clinging to all that they knew to be true about Him, and eager to share their faith with others. So did the way of Christ spread for a time, but eventually things were brought to a breaking point during the Protestant Reformation. The name "Sardis" in Greek means, "Remnant" - the few who remain. No study about the timeline of Biblical events down to the present day would be complete without an examination of this first major calling out since Pentecost, of a group of "remainers" from one phase of Church History to another.

QUESTIONS:
01) What do the Old Testament Scriptures tell us of Israel's Remnant? (Ezra 9:8; Joel 2:32; 2Ki 19:30,31)
02) What would be done to these who remain among the faithful? (Zech 13:8,9; Zeph 3:13)
03) How does the Messiah describe Himself to the Sardis Church? (Rev 3:1a)
04) In what other forms are these seven Spirits seen by the Revelator? (Rev 4:5, 5:6)
05) What is said about the seven lamps, spirits and eyes of the Most High? (Pro 15:3; Zec 4:2,10; Psa 101:6)
06) What does Christ say concerning the state of this Church/Age? (Rev 3:1b)
07) What occurs when one has a living name but is dead? (Deu 25:5,6; Ruth 4:5,10¹)
08) What advice and warning is given to the members? (Rev 3:2,3)
09) What do we know about the "works" of the final Remnant of the Church? (Psa 138:8, Eph 5:25-27, Zeph 3:13)
10) What other New Testament writer exhorts us to live Godly lives so that the Day will not approach us "as a thief?" (2Pet 3:10-12)
11) What occurs at the breaking of the 5th Seal? (Rev 6:9-10)
12) What is the nature of the Altar in Heaven? (Rev 8:3, 9:13, Exo 30:1)
13) Where therefore is this Altar with the blood of sacrifices under it? (Exo 27:1, Luke 11:51, Heb 13:10-12²)
14) What was done concerning the memory of those who were slain for Christ? (Rev 6:11³)
15) What does the Messiah say of those few who remain true to Him during this age? (Rev 3:4)
16) How are the symbols of that prophecy significant to us today? (Mat 17:1,2; 1John 2:4,6; Ecc 9:8)
17) In both Revelation 6:11 and 3:4, what is meant by someone receiving this white garment? (Isa 64:6, 61:10, Rev 19:11-14)
18) What promise is given to the overcomers of that age? (Rev 3:5,6)
19) What is important about that Book? (Dan 12:1,2; Mal 3:16,17; Phil 4:3; Rev 20:15)
20) What promises are made to those who journey from a familiar place to a new one in order to follow truth? (Gen 12:1-3, Psa 23:4, Mark 10:28-30)

Note¹ This custom, known as a "Levirate" marriage, allowed the next of kin of a man who died without children to join himself to the widow. The firstborn of such a union was considered the child of the former husband and would receive the inheritance which was originally destined for the deceased man's heir.
Note² Some have seen the verses of Revelation 6 as evidence that there are disembodies spirits in Heaven. We are told, however, that the saints sleep in the earth until the Resurrection. (Dan 12:1,2; John 5:28,29) We read here, however, that there is an Altar of Incense (Prayer) in Heaven but no Altar of Sacrifice. The Altar of Sacrifice is the earth. The "blood of the saints," therefore, cries out for vengeance from the earth in symbol, even as the blood of Abel did in Genesis 4:10.
Note³ Many who opposed the Church/State union were led to the stake and burned as heretics and dissenters from the Church. During the reformation, however, those once considered excommunicated (and therefore assumed to be condemned to spiritual destruction) were now seen as martyrs for the truth, and awaiting a glorious reward.

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