The 7 Churches of Revelation - Laodicea

FYI Point:

Parousia- this is the Greek New Testament word for Christ’s second and final coming literally meaning “presence”; it is His visible, glorious and blessed return for His faithful, those called by His grace.  Unlike the belief held by millennialist, the parousia of Christ will not usher in a 1,000 year earthly kingdom but will be the Judgment Day.  It also includes the bodily resurrection, then, of all the dead.  The new heavens and earth will follow immediately; that is, the Kingdom of Heaven.  Lutherans are divided as to the nature of the passing away of the old by fire (2 Peter 3:10); Gerhard held to a total annihilation of the world while Luther described it as the form of the world as it appears and is now that will pass away.

The Church of Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22)

Laodicea was once an old fortress.  It was situated on the juncture of two important trade routes; one of which joined five of the seven cities we’ve been discussing.  Colosse was another noted city, not included in the seven but having received an epistle from St. Paul, which was only ten miles away.  Laodicea was the wealthiest city in Phrygia.  One of its vital exports was fine, black wool.  Textile and garments made from this wool also contributed to Laodicea’s wealth.  Though wealthy, this city had no great religious or civil features.  

Jesus here calls Himself the “Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler (source) of all creation”.  “Amen” is the Hebrew word of confirmation meaning “it shall be so” or “this is most certainly true”.  It rightly ends Christian prayers and punctuates Christian worship.  The word is used eight times in Revelation.  Jesus uses “amen” as He does here; rather than ending He begins with it.  Usually it is translated in English as “Truly, truly I say to you…” but really is “amen, amen I say to you”.  His word carries authority right from the start because He is God and the basis for all truth.  Thus, Jesus is also the truest witness testifying to what really is.  Finally, Jesus is arche of all creation or “source”; this is related to but different to what John says of Jesus in John 1:1-3.  Jesus in John’s Gospel prologue is the logos, “Word”, or agent and means of creation.  No conflict, just different nuances as to Jesus’ divinity that pertains to creation.   (See also Colossians 1:16, 17)

This letter is not a message we’d like to get by any means.  It is Jesus’ harshest rebuke, offering no commendation, and probably why it came last.  It can be hard to listen to Jesus like this but it demonstrates His love for the Church (v. 19).  This is a hard concept for some Christians to understand as they seek to dilute the love of God into some “do whatever feels good” permission.  As I have said many times before I’ll say again, the Gospel is never a license to sin because forgiveness has been secured through Christ.  Discipline, though hard at the time, is loving at the core (see Hebrews 12:7-11).  It is not retribution, mere punishment, but seeks the restoration and future well being of the one disciplined.

The fact that God loves us doesn’t mean He doesn’t care how we live or what we do.  Sin still causes trouble, separates us from God, and leads to death and destruction, if we pursue it.  Moreover, God will not be mocked nor Christ’s cross disgraced.  We must never treat the absolution Christ offers through His blood as a personal stash of “stay-out-of- hell-free” cards.  The Christians of Laodicea had forgotten their dependence upon God and thought themselves self-sufficient due to their wealth.  They had lost interest in the true wealth of the Gospel to which Jesus invites them to return (v. 18).  Their fancy black wool clothes made them shamefully naked before the Lord as they put their trust in earthly riches. 

Now listen to Christ’s scathing rebuke: “I will spit you out of my mouth!”  They had become repugnant to Jesus in their smugness.  Perhaps the hot or cold refers to faithful fervor and courage and humble submission and repentance as an emphasis but this congregation was neither.  In any case, it is not the distinction of faith versus unbelief but applies to the sting of the Law and the comfort of the Gospel.  Feel something about these things; react to the precious Word of God instead of going blithely upon your merry little way.  We must never grow lukewarm in our faith; that is, apathetic toward the Good News of Christ.  It will not be tolerated by Jesus.

To follow through on the culinary metaphor, Jesus offers one of Scripture’s most gracious invitations.  In verse 20 He says, “Behold I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him.”  Jesus has not given up yet.  He is knocking (depicted in a famous painting) on our hearts inviting us to repent and return to Him in the submission of true faith.  And to eat with us means we are accepted by Him (see Matthew 9:9-13; Acts 11:1-18; 1 Corinthians 5:11).  It is an important sign of fellowship in Christianity.  We practice this fellowship with Christ and each other at the altar in Holy Communion every Sunday.  What a blessed gift offered in our times of public worship!

For Our Further Discussion:

1.       How would we characterize American spiritually today: hot (fervently faithful), cold (humbly repentant) or lukewarm (bored and apathetic)?

2.       How does our understanding of wealth in this country add to the problem?  What should it be instead (see Matthew 6:24, 16:26; James 5:1-6; 1 John 2:15-17; 1 Timothy 6:3-10)?