THE BOOK OF REVELATION

INTRODUCTION - The letters of Revelation 2 and 3 are written by Christ to literal churches of the first century. Yet their messages do not end with these churches, but extend to the Christian church throughout every century. We are called to examine ourselves and our churches by what Christ says to the early church. Today we shall look at the last of the seven letters, this one being written to the church at Laodicea. It is a letter of rebuke which will hopefully awaken us to our great need for fellowship with Christ and our need to reaffirm our work among ourselves and in the world around us.

1) CHRIST'S GREETING TO THE CHURCH AT LAODICEA - Revelation 3:14 - The actual city of Laodicea was extremely affluent, making its money from banking and a successful black wool industry. The city was also famous for its medical school and had become a great center for emperor worship. Christ will take the physical characteristics of the city and use them as illustrations of the church's spiritual deadness and poverty. The church was most probably established by Epaphras (Colossians 4:13,16), yet its spiritual growth has been hampered and it receives some of the greatest rebukes from the Lord.

2) THE DESCRIPTION OF CHRIST - Revelation 3:14 - As in each of these letters, Christ is portrayed in a particular way, usually drawing upon the image of the Lord from Revelation 1. First, He is called "the Amen". We know the word "Amen" through our prayers, hymns, and creeds, which usually end with this declaration. Essentially, it means "so be it", yet it carries with it a far greater intent than just agreement. It actually is a word of commitment, like taking a solemn vow. Israel used it this way in the Old Testament to signify its promises to the Lord. So, when we say "Amen", we are actually making a vow to God, a promise, a consent, to all that we have heard or said. Thus, in our prayers, our songs, our affirmation of preaching, we are vowing to God our agreement, and calling down His blessings and curses, if we keep or break this promise. Therefore, let us not use the word flippantly or carelessly in our worship! Yet here we see that Christ is the church's "Amen". How are we to understand this? Christ has become the confirmation of God's promises to the church (II Corinthians 1:20). How do we know that the promises of God to us will come to pass? What is the assurance of our salvation? What is the "Amen" of God to all of these things? It is Christ! He is the binding oath of God and it is in this that we rest as Christians! Next, Christ is called "the faithful and true witness" unlike the church of Laodicea which had become unfaithful and untrue. Christ bore witness of the Father when He came into this world and Christ discloses truth to us. He is also "the beginning of the creation of God," not that He is a created being, but that He is the designer, the author, the originator and agent of Creation itself (Colossians 1:16,17). Here is the Christ who speaks to the church of Laodicea!

3) THE PRAISE GIVEN TO THE CHURCH AT LAODICEA - Unfortunately, there is none to be found, and sadly, just like the church at Sardis, the church of Laodicea was not even aware of its spiritual deadness. This should be a warning to ourselves. Do we ever question our spiritual state? Or have we lapsed into thinking that our Christianity is fine and should not be questioned? We should never be satisfied with who we are and where we are spiritually! Laodicea had stopped growing and had become dead. They had spiritually slumbered and were no longer aware of their deadness. Let us learn that we should never be content with our Christianity, but should constantly be growing in holiness and maturity. No one ever matures completely in this life! All of us must constantly be growing, learning, stretching and broadening in Christ.

4) THE REBUKE GIVEN TO THE CHURCH AT LAODICEA - Revelation 3:15,16 - Christ knows the works of His churches, and He condemns the church at Laodicea for being neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm. The following interpretation has often been given for this text: cold, meaning spiritual coldness or Christian apathy; hot, meaning spiritual devotion or Christian enthusiasm; and lukewarm, meaning neither apathy or fervency but a useless and dead Christianity. Yet if this is the way to interpret these "temperatures", then Christ, in Revelation 3:15, is actually advocating that He would rather have this church spiritually dead (cold) than lukewarm (useless). This does not make sense, for Christ has never approved of spiritual coldness in any of His letters. It makes no sense for Christ to want an apostate church as opposed to a useless church - both are unacceptable states! Therefore, how are we to understand the meaning of these temperatures? This is where our understanding of the actual city of Laodicea becomes helpful. The city's water supply was actually supplied by two adjacent cities - Colosse and Hieropolis. Colosse's water was famous for being cold and refreshing to weary travelers. Its cold water spring was just what a traveler needed after a long journey. Hieropolis was famous for its hot spring which provided healing and rejuvenation to all who soaked in its spring. Both water sources eventually flowed into the city of Laodicea, but when it reached there it was neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm, a water which could neither refresh nor heal. This is the spiritual parallel which Christ is making with the church. The spirituality of the church at Laodicea was not cold or refreshing. Saints could not find refreshment in the church's preaching or ministry. It was a dull and lifeless spirituality. Nor could spiritual healing be found in Laodicea. Spiritual souls could not find healing or help in this church. It had no spiritually cold water to refresh, nor spiritually hot water to heal, it was useless, good for nothing, and Christ was ready to spit them out. This is why He would wish that they were either cold (refreshing) or hot (healing), at least one of these, but Laodicea was neither. So we must judge our own churches and wonder if our ministries, preaching, fellowships and outreach has fallen into the same lukewarmness. We are to be hot - burning into the souls of men, providing spiritual healing to horrible sins, having strong Gospel preaching, calling men to repentance and faith in Christ. We are to be cold - becoming a place for spiritual refreshment, where exhausted souls may come to be revived and rejuvenated, not just having their ears tickled. Are we such a church?

Yet the rebukes continue in Revelation 3:17 as Christ once again makes parallels to the city and the spiritual life of the church. The city of Laodicea prided itself in three areas: its wealth, its textile industry, and its medical advancements. Christ says of the church that though they were wealthy (like the city) they were actually spiritually poor. We must never make the mistake, as is done so often in our day, to think that temporal prosperity in a church means that it is spiritually alive. It is not sinful for a church to have money, but it is sinful to think that this money is the gauge of our spirituality. Better to be poor, like the church at Smyrna, in the things of this world, and to be rich spiritually, than to be rich like Laodicea, and poor spiritually! In reality, Christ says that the Laodicean church is blind and naked. They cannot see their horrible state. They needed spiritual medicine, spiritual clothing, spiritual riches.

5) CHRIST'S WARNINGS TO THE CHURCH AT LAODICEA - Revelation 3:18,19 - Christ counsels them to buy gold, to put on white garments and to anoint their eyes with salve - all spiritual things which may be received from Him. They were wealthy in the things of this world, but what they truly needed was spiritual wealth. Christ offers all of these things freely (Isaiah 55:1; John 7:37) and calls all Christians to come and receive such spiritual treasures from their Lord. The world will not provide it, and we cannot find these things in ourselves. Christ offers spiritual life, spiritual clothing, and spiritual healing for our blind eyes. Therefore, let us zealously pursue these spiritual riches with repentance and faith! We must also remember that in all of these rebukes can be found the love of Christ for His church (Revelation 3:19). He hates spiritual lukewarmness, yet He loves His church, and so, He will rebuke and chasten us until the lukewarmness is gone. Let us praise Him for His mercy and grace towards His imperfect people!

6) CHRIST'S PROMISES TO THE CHURCH AT LAODICEA - Revelation 3:20,21 - "Behold, I stand at the door and knock" - these words are not evangelistic, they have nothing to do with evangelism and are not written to the unsaved, but to the church. These words are an invitation to the lukewarm church to come into fellowship once again with Christ. This is what the Laodicean Christians had been missing. If we have heard Christ today, then let us go and fellowship with Him. He will come and dine with us! Where does that fellowship take place? In verse 21 we see that it takes place on the throne of Christ. This is the Lord that we fellowship with! The Christ of the church! He is ascended, seated in glory with the Father, having disarmed His enemies, putting them under His feet, reigning above all creation and every power - this is the One who invites us to fellowship, and our fellowship is as kings and priests on the throne of our Savior.

7) CHRIST'S EXHORTATION TO THE CHURCH AT LAODICEA - Revelation 3:22 As in the subsequent letters, we are called to listen and obey. Do we have ears to hear? Are we ready to examine our churches, our lives, in light of what Christ says to the churches? Have we lost our first love? Do we fear suffering and persecution? Is there doctrinal or moral compromise? Are we spiritually dead, lukewarm? Let us hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches, and let us follow the ascended Christ of Revelation!