YAHWEH JESUS IN THE MIDST OF HIS CHURCHES (PART IV)
Revelation 3:14-22
As taught by Dave Lindstrom
I. Church #7: The Church at Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22).
A. A brief history of the city of Laodicea: Laodicea was located 45 miles southeast of Philadelphia and about 100 miles east of Ephesus. It was a city that was at the crossroads of the major trade routes in Asia Minor and so had become wealthy. It was known for a soft, black wool made in the area and their famous medical school. An eye salve came from this school known as “Phygian powder” which brought the city fame and fortune. The city had temples to Zeus, Men Karou (also known as Asclepius, the god of healing) as well as shrines to many trade gods. The valley it was located in was prone to earthquakes and the city was severely damaged in both 17 A.D. and 60 A.D. The city had to bring its water in from an aqueduct system from six miles away and so was known to have lukewarm and many times bad tasting water. The cities and churches of Colosse and Hierapolis were very close to the city of Laodicea (Colosse was 10 miles east and Hierapolis was 6 miles north) forming a tri-city complex. It is believed that all three churches were evangelized and planted by Epaphras (Col. 1:7, 2:1, 4:13) between 54-56 A.D.
B. Christ’s attributes, assessments, and award for the congregation at Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22).
1. Christ’s attributes for the church to meditate on are found in Rev. 3:14. He identifies Himself as the churches’ Amen which means the words and actions of Jesus are firmly fixed, unchangeable, and true (Isa. 65:16, He is the God of truth, in Hebrew “Elohim Aman”). He is the faithful and true witness and wants the Laodiceans to be like Him (2 Cor. 1:20). He is also the ruler (chief, source, origin, beginner) of creation and therefore worthy to be listened to (Col. 1:18; Rev. 1:5, 22:13).
2. Christ’s assessment of the churches’ situation and problem (Rev. 3:15-20).
a. Christ knows that the Laodicean church, like their city water, is lukewarm and bad tasting. Out of the seven churches, they receive the worst report from Yahweh Jesus and receive only rebuke. None of the works of the Laodicean church are acceptable in Yahweh Jesus’ sight (verses 15, 16).
b. Christ knows that the Laodicean church is a congregation that boasts in their own wealth and self-sufficiency rather than their need and abandonment in Yahweh. This attitude never went well for Israel and it’s not going well for this church either (Deut. 8:10-20; Jer. 9:23, 24). Christ describes this congregation in five words that are very much different from their self-evaluation. They are wretched (only other time used in Romans 7:24), miserable (only other time used in I Cor. 15:19), poor, blind, and naked (verse 17).
c. Christ knows that the Laodicean church is prideful in three areas which are their gold, clothing, and eye medicine. He desires for their self- sufficiency to be reversed and therefore He instructs this congregation to “buy” into His true spiritual life instead (verse 18). If they will listen to His loving rebuke and repent (change their mind and turn) then Christ will open the door of His Kingdom blessings and personal fellowship to them (verses 19, 20; Matt. 24:33; John 14:23).
3. Christ’s award for the faithful Laodiceans (Rev. 3:21, 22).
a. Christ’s true overcomers will co-reign with Christ in His Millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom on this earth (verse 21; Dan. 7:27; Luke 22:28- 30; Rom. 8:17; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 20:6).
b. There is a universal call to all of Christ’s churches then and now to overcome and listen to the true words of the Holy Spirit (verse 22).
THOUGHT: In what areas are you showing boastfulness in your family, resources, or ability without giving credit to Yahweh? How can you correct this? How can we as a church body be better at Hallelu-Yah (praising Yahweh)?
II. Two final teachings regarding the seven churches of Revelation.
A. Some teachers like to point out that there seems to be a possible chronological development of church history in the seven churches. They would possibly say that a scenario like this is represented in church history: Ephesus (approx. 30- 100 A.D., losing first love), Smyrna (approx. 100-312 A.D., severe persecution before Constantine), Pergamum (approx. 300-600 A.D., false doctrine), Thyatira (600-1517 A.D., immorality, false doctrine), Sardis (1517-1750 A.D., reform- ation, persecution), Philadelphia (1750-1950’s A.D., revivals, great world wars), Laodicea (1950-now, the lukewarm church). Even though there are some interesting historical events that seem to line up with this view, there is not enough to give precise breaks to the next chronological development for my exegetical taste. A better exegesis is to see the seven churches representing possible church scenarios for all church time before Christ’s rapture and/or return.
B. There seems to be a possible Hebraic chiasm in Christ’s words to the seven churches of Revelation. The Greek letter chi looks like the English X. Therefore, a chiasm in the literature has similarities matching beginning and ending parts of the writing and has its main point in the middle (where the X crosses). Ephesus and Laodicea, Smyrna and Philadelphia, and Pergamum and Sardis all have similarities relating in order of passion for Christ, persecution in Christ, and participation in cultural immorality. Thyatira is the middle church, has the longest amount of writing, deals with doctrinal error and immorality, and is the only letter that quotes Scripture directly (Psalms 2:9). This deals with Christ’s rule on this earth and His overcomers ruling with Him. This church seems to embody Christ’s main theme to His churches for all time.
