Introduction to Revelation

Today we will be delving into some parts of the book of Revelation. Some biblical scholars stated that the book was written by the apostle John at the time when he was exiled in the island of Patmos, “however some in the early church thought Revelation was not written by John the apostle but by another early church leader with the same name” (Faithlife Study Bible).  The title of the book originates from the opening verses, which identifies this book as the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Apokalypsis

The word apocalypse was derived from the Greek noun “apokalypsis” which means revelation or communication of knowledge to man by God.  Today’s modern definition of apocalypse involves the final destruction of the world or destruction to a catastrophic scale.

The book of Revelation does indeed mention the end of the world, but it also unveils the unseen realities of life for God’s people.  It draws back the curtain of the spiritual battle taking place and Jesus reveals these visions to John so that the church, will be aware of what is happening in the present and in the future.  For Part 1 of today’s topic, we will be looking at one of the seven churches that Jesus mentions in Revelation chapters 1 to 3.

At the time John wrote Revelation, the seven churches were not the only ones that were present at the time in Asia Minor, however, these churches were influential and located on a well-known trade route.  The number seven as we have observed in the Bible represents fullness or completion.  We can see these in the following passages,

 Gen 2:2 – 7^th day, Joshua 6:4 – Fall of Jericho, 2 Kings 5:10 – Healing of Naaman.  John uses this number throughout Revelation with the seven bowls and seven trumpets in later chapters.  The seven churches would have been understood as representing all the churches at the time, and perhaps the entire worldwide Church.  I originally intended to speak about Laodicea and one other church in one sermon to showcase the dichotomy between the two churches, but that will prove to take too much time for our regular Sunday service. Today, we will only focus on the church of Laodicea, so let us read Revelation 3:14-22:

¹⁴ “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.

¹⁵ “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷ For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. ¹⁹ Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. ²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. ²¹ The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²² He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Re 3:14–22.

The Church of Laodicea

Laodicea (Laodikeia) a city in the Roman province of Asia (Asia Minor), now Izmir in modern day Turkey, is the southern-most city addressed by Jesus from the seven churches.

Located south of the Lycus River, it lays about 10 km south of Hierapolis and about 19 km of Colossae.  

As you can tell by the verses we read, the church in Laodicea is the only church that did not receive any positive comments from the Lord, instead the church received a very scathing reprimand.  The address to Laodicea starts with establishing the person who is speaking to them.  In verse 14 it says, ¹⁴ “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.

Amen is a Hebrew word that comes “from a root meaning ‘to be firm, steady, trustworthy’” (New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, IVP, 1996.).  It is used to finalize a statement to state that what the speaker said was true or in agreement with a statement from someone else.  If we look at 2 Corinthians 1:20, ²⁰ For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

In this verse, the Amen is Christ who fulfills all the promises of God to us, and all our confidence in God’s promises that stems from our trust in Jesus Christ as a person whom we can rely on.

Revelation 3:14 reiterates this statement about Jesus as the final fulfillment of God’s promises to His church.  Verse 14 also mentions that Jesus is “the beginning of God’s creation”.  Some have misinterpreted this part of the passage to state that Jesus was a created being.  Some have said that He was the first creation of God, however if we look at the original Greek word for “beginning”, it is ἀρχή (arc-he).

(ἀρχή – arc-he)

This word actually means “beginning ruler” – an agent that is the cause of something but does not itself have a cause. Jesus was not the first created being, but was the agent of the beginning of creation. In short, He was the beginning. Let us read verses 15-16, ¹⁵ “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

Here the Lord states that the Laodicean church is neither hot or cold.  Since they were neither hot or cold, He will spit them out of his mouth.  What do these verses mean exactly? When I first read this passage long ago, I interpreted these verses to mean that the Laodicean church were neither on fire for the Lord or openly rejecting Him.  Jesus would have preferred the church to be either of these rather than being in the middle – professing to know Christ, but are just half-hearted.  This interpretation makes sense in our contemporary worldview since in relationship dynamics we associate hot as “showing intense affection, warmth and interest” ^[1] towards and individual, and cold as showing to be “detached or disinterested” ^[1].

But one thing did not sit right with me interpreting these verses this way.  Does Jesus prefer me to be dead in my sins (cold) than being a half-hearted Christian?  What would the Laodicean church have understood this passage when they read it?  To see what they would have interpreted it to be, let us look at the geography of Laodicea itself.

As we saw earlier, Laodicea is located in between two other cities, Colossae and Hierapolis. The imagery that the Laodicean church is neither hot or cold may be a reference to the city’s physical location in that it lacks a natural spring water, and must import water from outside sources.  The lukewarm water of Laodicea is a likely result of the city being too far from its sources of water.  Where could Laodicea import their water from?  One possibility is the neighboring city of Hierapolis.

Hierapolis

The nearby city of Hierapolis possessed natural hot springs which can provide healing properties such as trace mineral absorption, healing of skin issues, reducing stress, boost in blood circulation, decrease in blood pressure, and providing pain relief.  For anyone in this church who have visited some hot springs may agree to its benefits.  Another possibility of Laodicea’s water source is Colossae.

The other nearby city of Colossae has its own cold fresh spring water, which also provides health benefits, but it ultimately provides refreshment and satisfaction from thirst.  Regardless of where Laodicea gets its water from, by the time the water reaches the city via its underground aqueducts, the water would have been already lukewarm.  It is still debated what the actual temperature of lukewarm water is but it is normally warmer than body temperature (approximately 40 degrees Celsius) but not hot enough to burn.  In verse 16 Jesus states that since the Laodicean church is neither hot (healing properties) or cold (refreshing), they are lukewarm – useless and will be spit out from the mouth.  I believe this is what the Laodicean church would have understood when Jesus expressed the hot and cold references.  Let us look at verse 17, ¹⁷ For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

The Laodicean church claims that they are rich due to the city’s wealth and prosperity due to its banking industry.  It may be that the church considers itself to be self-sufficient. When the city experienced damage from an earthquake in AD 60, the city was able to self-fund the relief and restoration efforts without the help of Rome. When Rome proposed to them financial support, they probably replied, “It’s alright, we have our own insurance, we’re all in good hands.”

The material prosperity of the church is in contrast to their spiritual bankruptcy.  The Lord points out the irony of the condition of the church.  They trust more of their own self-sufficiency than the God who truly sustains them.  When conditions are good in our lives, do we still rely upon the mercies of God, or do we stand like King Nebuchadnezzar claiming, “Is this not the great empire, which I have built by my mighty power?” (Daniel 4:30).  Sometimes it is easy to put God out of the picture when we think we have our lives figured out.

With their self-sufficiency, the Laodicean Christians were deceived of their true spiritual condition.  In their delusion “they thought that they were very well already, and therefore they were very indifferent whether they grew better or no(t)” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary On The Whole Bible).  Their souls were starving and they were not getting the proper spiritual nourishment they needed.  The things they needed to grow in their faith were lacking.

This is similar to nutrients that the body needs to grow and stay healthy.  Protein builds and preserves muscles, carbohydrates provide energy, and fats build cell membranes, nerve tissues, and hormones.  Without these macro nutrients and other vitamins, the body will not function properly.  In this case, the church had no personal interest in maturing.  God’s word is either taken lightly or disregarded altogether.  The Bible is used as a means to a personal end instead of regarding it as it says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that, “¹⁶All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Do we view the Bible this way, or do we view it subjectively, picking and choosing the verses that suit our personal wants? Do we leave out at the parts where it says to take up your cross as it says in Matthew 16:24, ²⁴ Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

and counting the cost as it says Luke 14:27-28, ²⁷ Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. ²⁸ For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

Do we stay clear of those type of passages?  Those passages deal with being a real disciple of Christ. As a disciple, following Christ may mean losing relationships, personal aspirations, material things, or even forfeiting our lives for His sake.  Did we sign-up as believers and be a part of this local church to at least expect those hardships or did we only sign-up in order for God to provide us our material wants?  Are we hypocrites who profess to know Christ yet are not truly belonging to Him?  Two English idioms come to mind, “talk is cheap” and “actions speak louder than words”.  Both describe that it is easier to claim to be Christian than actually being one.  Let us continue on with verse 18,

¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.

The allusion of “gold refined by the fire” is as described in Malachi 3:2-3. ² But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. ³ He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.

The purifying of metals through fire burns off the impurities since metals become molten and do not burn off.  The Bible uses this metaphor for purification of sin and overcoming trials.  If you recall singing the song Refiner’s Fire by Brian Doerksen, the song centers around this principle of the Bible.  The Laodicean Christians would have understood the reference of gold refined by fire since the city is the center of gold exchange as a banking center of Asia Minor.

The “white garments” Jesus refers to are regarding the glossy black wool garments that were exclusively manufactured in Laodicea.  These garments were prized in the Roman world.  To Jesus, the earthly value of the prized black garment does not compare to the white garments that He told the Laodicean Christians to clothe themselves with, in order to cover themselves from the shame of their spiritual nakedness.  Laodicea was also home to a widely known medical school and institution which specializes in producing a special eye salve called Phrygian powder.

The salve was used for medication to treat various eye conditions.  Jesus again points out the irony that even though the city of Laodicea had developed and were experts in eye medication, the Christians in this city were spiritually blind, not being able to see their true spiritual condition.

Let us continue to verse 19, ¹⁹ Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

Despite of the Laodicean church only receiving rebuke from the Lord, He still wants them to come to their senses and go back to Him.  The Lord states that those whom He loves, he reproves and disciplines. It is also stated in the Bible in Proverbs 13:24,²⁴Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

And also in Hebrews 12:7-11, ⁷It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? ⁸If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. ⁹Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? ¹⁰For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. ¹¹For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

The purpose of reproof is to correct the wayward person to recognize and turn away from sin.  Discipline trains the person to do the right thing.  If the Lord did not care for the Laodicean church, then He would have let them continue on what they were doing until they face His definitive judgement.

In Revelation 3:20 it says, ²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Because the Laodicean Christians were self-sufficient, they locked Christ out of their lives.  This passage is used many times in evangelism regarding Jesus coming into the heart of the unregenerate unbeliever, but this verse can also be about a renewal of fellowship with a straying believer.  Here as the head of the church, Jesus stands outside appealing to the Laodicean church to be admitted into fellowship with Him. One question we can reflect on is that have we ever considered ourselves to be self-reliant to the point that we place Christ outside of our lives? Hopefully we are not of the mentality that we only need the Lord to get to heaven, that in all other facets of our lives, we are our own masters.

Let us conclude the passages with verses 21 and 22, ²¹ The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²² He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Just as Christ overcame trials on earth and is sitting down with the Father on the throne, He too offers the ones who conquer the trials and afflictions here on earth.  For the ones who endure in faith and following Him, Jesus Christ will share the privilege and authority that He enjoys as His church reigns with Him.

Conclusion

The Laodicean church paints a picture of what any church may experience.  Any church may have the potential to become apathetic in their love for Jesus Christ. A question we can have for our church is if we are heading to the same trajectory as the Laodicean church that was expressed in this passage.   Do we have Christ locked out of this church that we have become complaisant in discipling each other and studying His word?  For the individual Christian, do you have Christ locked out of your life, thinking that His lordship over you is not important?  In these cases, Jesus knocks, seeking you to acknowledge your need and open the door.  Next week we will look at another church the Lord Jesus addressed and see the stark difference it has with the church of Laodicea.

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