The Spiritual Meaning of Buying Gold in Revelation 3

Revelation 3

1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Jesus instructed us to buy gold in Revelation 3 to remedy our spiritual poverty, as this gold represents a pure faith and love that can endure the fiery trials of the last days3T 254.2+2. Although many today believe they are spiritually rich and have need of nothing, the True Witness reveals that they are actually wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked Revelation 3:171888 1797.4+1.

The Meaning of the Gold

The gold offered by the heavenly Merchantman is not worldly wealth, but the spiritual riches of the soul James 2:57BC 965.9+1.

• Faith and Love: It is specifically defined as faith and love, which are the only treasures that make the heart truly rich1MR 350.1+2.

• A Faith that Works: This gold is a faith that "worketh by love," leading to genuine obedience and a transformation of character Galatians 5:6GCB/GCDB 1893, page 205.4+1.

• Enduring Substance: Because it is "tried in the fire," it represents a steadfast principle and a trust in God that has been purified through suffering and temptation 1 Peter 1:76BC 1087.9+1.

The Necessity of Buying

While salvation is a free gift, we are told to "buy" these graces to show that they require effort and the sacrifice of our own self-sufficiency1T 142.3+2.

• Exchange of Self: To buy the gold means to give back to Jesus His own by receiving Him into the heart by faith and letting go of our cherished idols Isaiah 55:1YI September 5, 1895, par. 1.

• Cost of Discipleship: Obtaining these heavenly treasures will cost us all we have, requiring a total surrender of our worldly ambitions and self-righteousnessARSH December 11, 1856, page 45.11+2.

• The Remedy for Lukewarmness: This spiritual gold is the only remedy for the disease of lukewarmness, which is offensive to God and causes Him to reject those who remain in that state Revelation 3:164T 87.1+1.

The Results of Heeding the Counsel

Heeding this call from the True Witness prepares the believer for the final scenes of Earth's historyARSH December 11, 1856, page 47.8+1.

• Spiritual Riches: Those who buy this gold will be rich toward God and prepared to stand in the day of His fierce anger Proverbs 8:18-21ARSH January 29, 1857, page 103.16+1.

• Preparation for the Loud Cry: When this counsel is fully heeded, the "loud cry" of the third angel's message will sound throughout the world with power Revelation 18:1SSP 88.2+1.

• Fellowship with Christ: Buying gold is part of opening the door to Jesus, allowing Him to enter the heart to sup with us in a deep, personal communion Revelation 3:201MR 349.3+1.