7th Church: Laodicea

To the Angel of the Church of Laodiceans

Revelation 3:14-22 

Historical Setting: Laodicea, the final church Jesus addresses, was a city rich monetarily as well as intellectually and culturally. It lay within eyesight of two other cities, Hierapolis and Colossae, whose church had received an epistle from Paul three decades earlier. Paul apparently had also written a letter to Laodicea (see Colossians 4:16), and the early Latin Vulgate contains a letter purporting to be the one referred to in Colossians, but no Greek version remains, and the Latin version contains nothing original. It had been hurt by an earthquake in 60 A.D., but in its pride and wealth, it rejected any help from Rome (this earthquake also disqualifies an early date for the book of Revelation to be written in the 60s, as some preterists would suggest). Laodicea had a medical school which treated people with eye problems and exported eye salve. The city also exported black material cloth wool, a contrast to the white garments Christ urges them to buy.

Name Defined:  Laodicea was named for Laodice, wife of Antiochus II, and mother of Seleucus II Callinicus, both rulers in the empire following Alexander the Great, slightly less than 300 years before Christ. The name literally means either “the people rule” or “the nations judged” and again the sovereign God applies this name for a church in which historically and prophetically, the people exalt themselves, rather than God, and await God’s judgment.

Church History Parallel: “The Prosperity Church” (20^th Century-Tribulation)-What era of all of church history has there been a stronger parallel to the Laodiceans than in the 20^th Century Western Society: rich with material good, but lukewarm, poor, and blind spiritually.

     I.      Christ’s Description- (Revelation 3:14)

1. The Amen

2. The Faithful, True Witness

3. The Beginning (Gr: arche arch, architect) of the Creation Of God

   II.      Commendation-Works known, but no commendation for the works (Revelation 3:15a)

 III.      Condemnation (Revelation 3:15b, 17b)

1. Neither cold nor hot.

2. Were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked

 IV.      Commands (Revelation 3:18-19)

1. Buy from Me gold refined in the fire to be rich

2. Buy white garments, that you may be clothed

3. Anoint eyes with salve so they may see.

4. Be zealous and repent

  V.      Consequences (Revelation 3:16-22)

1. Because lukewarm, Christ will vomit church out of His mouth

2. Christ will rebuke and chasten those he loves

3. He stands at the door and knocks.

4. If they hear His voice, open the door, He will come in, dine with

5. Overcomers to sit with Christ on throne

¹⁴ And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; ¹⁵ I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth. ¹⁷ Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and do not know that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white clothes, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness does not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. ¹⁹ As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. ²⁰Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if anyone hears my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me. ²¹ To him that overcomes 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 has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.

 

Church ruled by the people: It is interesting that the only church in which Christ mentions nothing good to say for a church, that he calls it the “church of the Laodiceans” and not the “church in Laodicea.” It is as though it is a church of people and not the church of Jesus Christ in Laodicea. The name itself Laodicea means “ruled by the people,” and the church was not ruled by Christ, but by the people.

HIS IDENTIFICATION: Jesus identifies Himself as “The Amen,” a transliterated word from the Greek (see Matthew 5:18) and Hebrew (see Deuteronomy 27:15 and following) words “AMEN,” which means “so be it!” and used by Christ when He says “Verily, verily.” To a church which is very self-deceived, self-ruled, and self-sufficient, Jesus reveals Himself as “the real thing—the faithful and true witness.”

Secondly, Jesus says He is the beginning of the creation of God. The word beginning makes it clear that He is the architect of the creation. He’s the one who made all things. It is the same word used in Revelation 1:8, 21:6, and 22:13, “The beginning and the end.” Colossians 1:16 says “all things were made by Him and for Him.” He is the beginning and head of the church (Colossians 1:18). A solid reminder to the final church to be on the earth and the church which will likely be there after the rapture, unless they repent.

INDIFFERENCE: The church was lukewarm, spiritually and works wise. The city was in a valley and had built aqueducts from the mountains to bring the cold water down to them. By the time the water reached them it was lukewarm. Nearby there were hot springs, but by the time the water was taken up to Laodicea, it was no longer hot; it too was lukewarm. The church was passive in the things of the Lord. Professing to be Christians, it had an outward appearance of being a good and financially blessed people. Yet self-reliance, rather than Christ-reliance, made Him sick, spewing them out of His mouth.

POVERTY: The Laodicean church was the opposite of the Smyrna church. They thought they were rich, yet were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. The gold that is tried by fire is what Peter referred to: “that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:7.

WHITE GARMENTS: Laodicea was known not only for its hot and cold waters, but also for its making of black glossy wool garments, made from black sheep, which sold for a rich price. But more valuable than earthly clothes of black would be heavenly clothes of white, purchased by the rewards of faithful service here on earth. A rich faith produces clean garments and covers their nakedness. (Photo shows black sheep photographed at Laodicea).

EYESALVE: Laodicea was also known for its university of medicine treating eye problems with salve. Merchants and perhaps even member of the church sold ointments and herbs with a reputation of having great healing power, yet they had no ointment to restore a long-range vision to heaven. The church was spiritually blind, Christ said.

CHRIST’S LOVE: During all this rebuke and chastening is an almost hidden statement of affirmation of Christ’s love, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.” Jesus had not given up on the Laodicean church. If the Laodiceans were not beyond hope, so neither is anyone who “hears what the Spirit of the Lord says to the churches.” Rebuke is sometimes translated as reprove and is often found in relation to the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16, 4:2).  Chasten is used with instruction of children, often by the loving discipline of a parent (Hebrews 12:6-7) and often leads to our redemption (1 Corinthians 11:32). To be zealous means to boil with fervor of spirit and hot passion. The call to repentance is a further evidence that Christ wants to be welcomed into the church.

THE DOOR: Look, Christ is at the door, knocking. The door earlier was one that was opened and closed by Christ, yet here it is up to the church to open. Could He not force Himself in? It is obvious Christ is not speaking of a literal door to a church building, but to the hearts of those who profess to be Christians. Christ opens the door to heaven and salvation, but sinners must also open the door to Christ. To sup or dine was to enjoy the last and final meal of the day, a time in which the people relaxed and enjoyed the company of a day’s end (see Luke 17:8 for the same word usage).

What is the call to the church? To hear the voice of Christ, be zealous with fervency of faith and to repent from self-delusion. The result will be a communion meal with Christ in our hearts, in our churches, and ultimately, a meal in heaven at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).