The fifth church is Sardis. Sardis is the recovered church or the church that remains. We can say also that this is the church which is left behind. This church comes after Thyatira, but Thyatira does not disappear. Sardis comes after Thyatira, but it does not replace Thyatira.
The condition of Sardis can be seen from the words, “I know your works, that you have a name that you are living, and yet you are dead. Become watchful and establish the things which remain, which were about to die; for I have found none of your works completed before My God....But you have a few names in Sardis who have not defiled their garments” (3:1-2, 4). The characteristic of Sardis is that it has a name that is living and yet is dead.
Protestantism comes after Roman Catholicism. Sardis signifies all of Protestantism. Though Sardis includes the Reformation, she is not a picture of the Reformation but a picture of the whole of Protestantism.
At the zenith of its power, Roman Catholicism became an autocratic and evil system. The Reformation took place during a time in which the nations in Europe could no longer tolerate Catholicism’s suppression. During the Reformation, however, two kinds of forces were at work: One was of God, while the other was of man.
In the part that was of God, there was Martin Luther. He stood alone against the priests, the bishops, the pope, and the entire Roman Catholic Church. At that time God gave men an open Bible and revealed to them the truth of justification by faith. Lovers of Christ rose up in all corners and brought in the Reformation. They sacrificed their own lives for the Lord as a seal to the word of their testimony. Although they were persecuted by the Catholic Church, they continued in their faith in the Lord’s recovery work. They sacrificed everything to uphold the Reformation. The Holy Spirit moved in a prevailing way and produced many faithful servants. The Bible was opened up and men began to see light; men and women everywhere were enlightened about their salvation. They declared that they would no longer trust in their own work or in the priests for their salvation but would put their trust solely in God. This indeed was a great work of the Holy Spirit!
While Luther was struggling for the Reformation, many political powers, who were critical of the Roman Catholic Church, tried to take advantage of the Reformation and achieve their own political goals. The Reformation became a political reformation as well as a religious reformation. Part of the reason was that Roman Catholicism was armed with not only religious power but also political power. At that time the Roman Catholic Church ruled over the whole of Europe. The Reformation was originally a religious movement. However, kings, rulers, and politicians of many countries seized this opportunity to free themselves from the tyranny of Rome and to declare their independence from Rome. This is the reason behind the political reformation that took place. Formerly, both church government and civic government were under Rome. Now both church and nations freed themselves from Rome.
In the end the Reformation became a united front of the church and the world against Roman Catholicism. Not only was the church against Thyatira, but the political powers were against Thyatira as well. The two seized the opportunity to stage a simultaneous revolt against the Catholic Church. As a result, state churches were formed. In Germany and Sweden there is the Lutheran Church. In England there is the Anglican Church, and in Holland there is the Dutch Reformed Church, etc. All of these are state churches.