<< Previous | Index | Next >>"THE BOOK OF REVELATION" Letter To Laodicea (3:14-22) INTRODUCTION 1. Previously, we considered the letter to Philadelphia (Rev 3:7-13), in which Jesus... a. Commended them for having: 1) A little strength 2) Kept His word and not denied His name 3) Kept His command to persevere b. Said He would: 1) Make those of the "synagogue of Satan" (unbelieving Jews) to worship before their feet and come to know that Jesus loved them (His disciples at Philadelphia) 2) Keep them from the hour of trial that was coming c. Promising to him those who overcome: 1) He would make a pillar in the temple of His God 2) Write on them the name of His God, the city of His God, the New Jerusalem, and His new name 2. And from the letter to the church at Philadelphia we learn... a. That like the church at Smyrna, persecution at that time sometimes came from Jewish opposition b. That a church with little strength can be faithful to the Lord c. That Jesus may spare some churches from what may befall other churches d. Requires faithful Christians to "hold fast", or they may lose their "crown" e. Offered promises that appear related to both the intermediate and eternal states of the righteous, as described later in the book of Revelation 3. The seventh and final letter is written to the church in Laodicea. Some background information... a. The city of Laodicea 1) A very prosperous commercial city 2) When destroyed by an earthquake in 60 AD the city rebuilt itself without any help from Nero 3) It had a famous medical center noted for ophthalmology 4) But it lacked a good water supply, and water piped from hot springs likely arrived lukewarm -- We will notice how Jesus used the city's character to describe the church's character b. The church at Laodicea 1) It too may have begun during Paul's work while at Ephesus - cf. Ac 19:8-10 2) Perhaps through Epaphras, who had a special interest in it - cf. Col 4:12-13 3) Some think the "letter from Laodicea" (Col 4:16) may have been the epistle to the Ephesians which may have served as a circular letter to many of the churches in that part of Asia Minor -- With men like Paul and Epaphras having a vested interest in this congregation, it should have been an outstanding church [But such was not the case, as it received no commendation. Could we become like the church at Laodicea? Before we consider what ailed them, let's first notice...] I. THE LORD'S SELF-DESIGNATION (14) A. "THESE THINGS SAYS THE AMEN, THE FAITHFUL AND TRUE WITNESS"... 1. "The Amen" a. A Hebrew expression meaning "so be it" b. Twenty-five times in John's gospel Jesus prefaced His remarks with "Amen, amen..." (the NKJV translates it as "Most assuredly...") 2. "The Faithful and True Witness" - cf. Re 1:5 a. Coupled with "The Amen", Jesus emphasizes the truthfulness of His message to them b. Regarding His diagnosis of their spiritual condition, the warning if they do not repent, and the promise they will receive if they repent, accept His prescription, and overcome -- Jesus is the "Great Physician" who can be trusted to tell it like it is! B. "THE BEGINNING OF THE CREATION OF GOD"... 1. Some (e.g., JWs) believe this means that Jesus was the first thing created by God 2. But the Greek word translated "beginning" is arche, "which carries the concept of the 'beginning, origin, active cause.'" - Revelation: Four Views, Steve Gregg 3. Arche: "one who or that which constitutes an initial cause—'first cause, origin.'" - Louw Nida 89:16 4. John wrote: "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made." - Jn 1:3 (If Jesus is a created being, then He did not make ALL things) 5. Paul wrote: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." - Col 1:15-17 a. The expression "firstborn" is often used as a metaphor depicting one that has preeminence 1) E.g., God called David "My firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth" - Psa 89:27 2) David was not the first king God installed over Israel (Saul was), but David was made the preeminent king at that time 3) Thus Christ was the Preeminent One over all creation because He created everything! b. JWs in their New World Translation (NWT) insert the word "other" four times in Co 1:16-17 1) Paul wrote "all things" four times, the NWT has "all other things" four times 2) "All things" makes it clear Jesus is not a created being, the NWT twists the scriptures in an effort to teach otherwise -- The Laodiceans were familiar with the epistle to the Colossians (Col 4:16), so they would have understood John properly [As the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Preeminent One and Creator of all things, Jesus now speaks strong words of judgment to the church at Laodicea...] II. THE LORD'S CONDEMNATION AND WARNING (15-19) A. HIS CONDEMNATION... 1. They are neither cold or hot a. He wished they were cold or hot 1) Not that he would prefer them either spiritually alive or dead 2) But that they be more palatable to His taste (e.g., tea: preferably either cold or hot) b. But because they are lukewarm, He will vomit them out of His mouth 1) Their apathy was distasteful to Him 2) The image of Jesus vomiting is shocking and undignified, but His use here warns us that we are not to take Him lightly (compare this with God's warning to Israel, Lev 18:24-28) 2. They are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked a. Though they say they are rich, wealthy, and in need of nothing 1) Materially speaking, they like their city were well off 2) Prosperity can be misleading, trusting in uncertain riches - cf. 1Ti 6:17; Lk 12:15-21 b. Therefore He counsels them... 1) To buy from Him: a) Gold refined in the fire, that they may be rich; i.e., godly character refined by affliction, cf. Job 23:10; 1Pe 1:6-7 b) White garments, that their nakedness be not revealed; i.e., righteous acts of the saints - cf. Re 19:8 2) To anoint their eyes with eye salve, that they might see a) Perhaps an allusion to the famous medical center noted for ophthalmology b) Growing in the knowledge of Christ cures spiritual myopia - cf. 2Pe 1:8-9 -- To apathetic Christians, however affluent, Jesus offers true spiritual riches and godly character B. HIS WARNING... 1. As many as He loves He rebukes and chastens a. The Lord chastens those that He loves - cf. Pr 3:12; He 12:3-11 b. Such chastening is designed to save our souls - cf. 1Co 11:30-32 2. Therefore be zealous and repent a. The antidote to being lukewarm is fervent zeal b. Fervent zeal is also a manifestation of true repentance - cf. 2Co 7:10-11 -- Are we slack in our service to the Lord? We need to repent with zeal! [To help motivate us to repent and being zealous (if that be our need), we now consider...] III. THE LORD'S PROMISE AND EXHORTATION (20-22) A. HIS PROMISE... 1. He stands at the door and knocks... a. If any will hear Him and open the door, He will come in and dine with him b. We may have shut Christ out of our heart, He is willing to come back in if we let Him -- Note well: this is a promise to Christians, not telling lost people how to be saved! 2. To him who overcomes... a. The Lord will grant to sit with Him on His throne 1) What an amazing promise! 2) Compare with that told the church at Thyatira - Re 2:26-27 b. Just as He overcame and sat down with His Father on His throne 1) A promise in some way to participate in the current reign of Christ! 2) A reign of the Messiah foretold in Psalms - cf. Psa 2:8-9 3) His reign declared by the apostles to be current - cf. 1Co 15:24-26; Re 1:5 -- Perhaps an allusion to that described later: participating in the reign of the saints with Christ after death in heaven - Re 20:4-6; cf. also 1Co 6:2-3 B. HIS EXHORTATION... 1. Hear what the Spirit says to the churches 2. The seventh time this exhortation is found in chapters 2 & 3 -- What Jesus says to one church, all churches should heed! CONCLUSION 1. From the letter to the church at Laodicea, we learn… a. The danger of material prosperity and apathy in our service to the Lord b. The need to be zealous and repent as necessary 2. From the letter to the church at Laodicea, we learn that Jesus... a. Wants erring Christians to let Him back in their hearts b. Offers promises to sit with Him on His throne, that is, to reign with Him! In one sense, we already reign with Him: "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." - Ep 2:4-7 The best is yet to come, as we will see in our study of the rest of the book of Revelation...!<< Previous | Index | Next >>
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