The Seven Churches: Laodicea
The church of Laodicea is easily the most famous of the seven churches in the Book of Revelation. That’s not because Jesus saved the best for last. They were indeed last—last in line on the mail route and lagging way behind at running faith’s race. In fact, they weren’t running, or even walking with Jesus or towards Him. They weren’t running away either, or even running to the devil. He said He could have worked with any of that. What were they doing? They were “living the dream”—using His blessings to feather their own nest. They thought they had it made, but they couldn’t have been more wrong. Many have said that the church in America fits this picture all too well.
"I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." Revelation 3:15-16
All scripture citations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.
Chief Characteristics
Whole books are written about most of these crucial components. These characteristics are summaries of what is grounded in scripture, not fabricated through speculation.[i] Speculation is trying to “see” more than we are being shown. What we see by Biblical revelation is real enough, but a fuller view will only come as these still distant components draw nearer.
Travellers, commerce and correspondence from Greece or Italy would arrive at Asia Minor's major seaport, Ephesus, then journey up the coast towards Pergamum, before turning east on the interior highway to Laodicea. The letter to the church at Laodicea would have been the last letter delivered.
Laodicea sits at the end of the route that would have been traversed by anyone taking mail from Patmos to the other six cities addressed by these letters. Founded in the 3rd century BC, Laodicea became an important commercial center due to its position on the trade road connecting the coastal ports with the resources of Asia Minor’s interior. By the 12 century AD it became deserted due to warfare between the Byzantines and Seljuq Turks. Earthquakes in the 18th and 19th centuries completed its destruction.[ii]
Jesus knew this city well. When He spoke of hot and cold, He was pointing to the unique geography surrounding Laodicea. From city center one can see six miles to the north the hillside where ancient Hierapolis drew crowds to its famous hot springs and baths. Not far off, Mount Gokbel stands to high elevation (7,572 feet) and sends its cold waters into the Menderes River, then down the valley leading towards Laodicea. Hot and cold close at hand, yet the believers here were lukewarm. Jesus threatened to “spew them” out of his mouth if things didn’t change. Standing amid the present-day ruins, it is impossible to find a single building that has more than a fraction of its stone walls intact. For scores of acres all around, the countryside is covered with broken building stones—exactly as if some giant had chewed on them a while and spit them out. It is a lamentable and sobering sight.
Pre-Figured in Scripture
Every crucial component of the Last Days has already “appeared” in the Biblical prophetic narrative in the past, somewhat like a dress rehearsal for the final drama. These foreshadows are called “types” because they precede their ultimate expression (the “antitype”).[iii] As shadows of the future reality, however, they cast a revealing light of their own.
Esau: Despising His Inheritance
Is there someone in scripture who was lukewarm? Was there someone who had been offered an incredible inheritance, yet grew lackadaisical about it? Indeed, there was! And this was not just any inheritance but “the” inheritance. The seed line for the Messiah and the promise to Abraham were given to Esau. He didn’t even have to work to get it—it was given to him at birth. He only had to work to keep it. That’s sort of like us. We are granted salvation as a free gift at our new birth, but in some way have to “work out” our salvation through a process known as sanctification.[iv] That’s what Paul said he did and what we should do as well.[v] Apparently, the Laodicean Christians didn’t agree. Neither did this character. But they should have paid attention to his example. It’s a life lesson in what not to do.
As it happened, Esau had a brother who was desperate to the get that inheritance. To be sure, he was striving in the flesh. He was a usurper and a deceiver. But he knew a good thing when he saw it. Jacob went after the inheritance ninety to nothing. Now, you would think that should disqualify him—he really was an incorrigible rascal. Jesus, however, saw that Jacob was hot—that won the divine approval. When Esau proved he “despised” his inheritance by trading it for a bowl of porridge, he lost his position in salvation history. The lentils may have been hot, but he was lukewarm. That’s not what Jesus is looking for!
Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. Genesis 25:31-34
The Book of Revelation Chapter 3:14-22
The Bible exposes the secret plans and deceptive operations of the dark kingdom, even as it unveils the glorious realities of what our God is doing. The truths of scripture are, therefore, our rock-solid building blocks for interpreting the times we are entering. Nevertheless, for biblical information to become true revelation both prayer and the Holy Spirit are needed.
To the Church in Laodicea
"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. Revelation 3:14
The letter begins in the usual way, but don’t let that fool you. Jesus acknowledges “the angel of the church of Laodicea” exactly as He has done six times before.[vi] But something’s coming. Something they won’t want to hear—not unless they have the kind of wisdom Solomon recommends: “It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.”[vii] Something tells us that if they had that kind of wisdom, they wouldn’t have wound up in the predicament about to unfold. This is reading ahead so we can be prepared.
Coming back to the text, Jesus says He is “the Amen, the faithful and true witness.” We know that He is faithful and true from the rest of scripture which describes His nature and His steadfast ways. However, these two titles are unique to this book. Jesus calls Himself the Amen and the Witness. Amen is a Hebrew word that signifies something, someone or some statement is faithful, reliable or established.[viii] As such it is used over one hundred times in the Bible. Jesus takes the word and applies it to Himself. His is the big Amen behind every little amen.
Jesus says that He is also “the” faithful witness. He is the ultimate Witness behind all true witnesses. Many have witnessed about what they’ve seen in Him, including the Father. What is He a witness to? He who is Truth told Pilate that He came “to bear witness to the truth.”[ix] He is the One who brings the light of heaven’s truth into every dark nook and cranny where falsehood tries to hide.
Having said He is the Witness, Jesus tacks on a closing thought that seems a bit out of step. He is “the beginning of God’s creation.” How did we get there? Certainly, creation began with Jesus and He was there in the beginning.[x] However, considering the previous two titles this may be an allusion to how creation began—on a foundation of truth that was well-established, faithful and reliable. He is coming back to correct what went wrong, what grew false. That would include the believers in Laodicea.
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. Revelation 3:15-16
Without any fanfare, Jesus lowers the boom. There is not a single word of encouragement or recognition preceding what comes next. It’s a blistering rebuke: “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot.” This puts such a bad taste in His mouth that He warns, “I will spit you out of my mouth.” That is not something any believer wants to hear. We secretly hope to hear Him say, “Well done good and faithful servant.”[xi] Not, “What have you done? You faithless servant!” Nevertheless, these are the words scorching the Laodicean ears. How can they bear it? The Lord’s indignation is hot against them because they are “lukewarm.” If His words don’t light a fire under them nothing will.
Hot and cold (or cold and hot) appear together three times in this one verse. The repetition carries meaning. Holy, holy, holy is heaven’s refrain. Anything scripture repeats three times has special significance. In the back of one’s mind the Trinity faintly echoes through this pattern. Could it be that these apathetic believers are neither hot nor cold towards the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit? Is not One of the Godhead worthy of either their attention or their ire?
We say of outstanding personalities we know that “you’ll either love them or hate them” to friends who haven’t met them yet. CS Lewis wrote that if you can stand in front of a beautiful sunset or the Mona Lisa and feel nothing, there’s something wrong. That’s what Jesus is getting at. How can these believers have been introduced to Jesus who died for them and say, “Oh well, been there, done that”? How can the God in heaven be made known as their loving Father and final Judge and they let the connection go dead? How can the Holy Spirit be living within them, ready to guide them into truth and life and they could care less?
We see what’s at stake, but they don’t. Are they trying to navigate a middle path? Some call it being “inoculated” by the gospel—just enough Christianity to get you feeling safe and saved, but not enough to be a bother. We saw in the previous letter the peril of what too much religion can do when zeal goes off track. But zeal has a good side, too. It’s been said that a religious fanatic is someone who loves Jesus more than you do. Trying to avoid extremes can become extremely compromising.
Jesus would rather see extremes, than a muddled, complacent middle. He would see hot: Someone in hot pursuit of Him, passionate even if a bit mis-guided. Or He would see cold: Someone who has shut Him out and barred the door and is making no pretense about it. What He hates is the hypocrisy that pretends to be good but disregards Him. Where’s the goodness in that? Worse, He seems to be saying that it’s harder for Him to work with lukewarm pretenders, than notorious sinners or zealous fanatics. At least if you’re on the go He can guide you or turn you around, but if you’ve stopped dead in the water…
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Revelation 3:17
Complacency is their problem. In their eyes they’ve arrived. No need to press on or press in for a higher prize.[xii] They’re saying to themselves, “I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.” What? Don’t they “need” to be living their lives for Jesus, rather than themselves? Don’t they need to be forging a lasting relationship with Him? Perhaps they’re taking their present blessings as a sign that He’s pleased with them. They couldn’t be more wrong! In His eyes they’re “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” In the normal course of things, anyone in such dreadful conditions would be exactly the sort of person Jesus wants to save. But they’re “saved” already!
Now we see the problem they don’t see. If only they knew how miserable their condition is in God’s sight, they would be crying out for help. Usually, the average person being readied for salvation, feels how desperate their condition is and calls on God. These "saved" believers need Jesus just as desperately as when they first began, but they don’t feel the need, nor do they see it. That’s why Jesus is “shouting” at them. He has to shock them into “realizing” their reality.
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. Revelation 3:18
Now that He has their attention, He can offer remedies with each one shaped to match their need. Again, it should be noted that this is the Bride Jesus loves despite her blemishes. For this reason, He’s not making demands. Instead, He offers “counsel.” Because they’re poor in the real treasures, He recommends buying “gold refined by the fire.” During His Galilee days, Jesus warned us not to “store up treasures on earth” but only those in heaven.[xiii]
Jesus didn’t explain what the heavenly treasures are then or now, but we can speculate. These would be the things we can take with us or those that will be given to us there. Anyone we work with Him to save—whether family member, friend or stranger—will be a genuine treasure we can “take” with us. So, will any and all virtues He works into our character, including wisdom, knowledge and skill. Heaven will supply us with treasures of reward—the crowns He keeps mentioning are only a part of it—for all the good we do under His leadership. Even so, the greatest treasure will be the level of intimacy we reach with Him here—that will somehow set the tone or the starting point of our intimacy with Him there. He is the highest treasure and heaven’s greatest reward.
Jesus prefers to see His beloved Bride properly clothed. We saw this same concern expressed in His letter to Sardis and investigated it there. Here, we see that the underlying problem for them (as for us) is their “nakedness.” Ever since the debacle of Eden nakedness in public is a sign of original disgrace, not innocence. We cannot go back to that. Indeed, whatever may have been the first plan is a thing forever covered up before our ever-curious eyes. When we peer into heaven by the light of scripture, we see everyone fully clothed there. Why was it “good’ for Adam and Eve to be without clothes? How could it have continued? Could it have continued into heaven? We’ll never know. We know for certain, however, that it’s not good for us to be naked.
Our spiritual garments are of two kinds, because our nakedness is of two kinds. There is the shame of sin. There is also the shame of our brokenness, which includes our wide-ranging weakness and ignorance, our wounds and inabilities. The garment of salvation covers our sin. We are “covered” by the Blood of Jesus. God our Father sees the Blood covering us and we’re good to go. This is widely taught. The other covering we need is not as well understood. He gives us the robe of His Righteousness to cover our shameful inability to show forth any righteousness of our own. Where the Blood covers our sinfulness, His Righteousness covers our weakness. See “Our Righteous Covering” for more on this at ouramazinggod.org.
To the robes, Jesus adds salve to “anoint” our eyes. Without the holy scriptures and the Holy Spirit, we are blind as bats. The salve that saves is the anointing of the Spirit combined with the reading of His Word. It takes both to restore spiritual sight. Our condition is such that this needs to be done daily. We don’t just need to see Jesus well enough to get to heaven. That seems to have been part of the Laodicean problem. We need to see even more what it is that Jesus our Lord wants us to do every day, so that He can lead us to heaven step by faithful step.
Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Revelation 3:19
Here comes the desired fire. Since the flame has gone out, the solution is to “be zealous and repent.” It’s fine to pray while walking, sitting or lying in bed, but this calls for hitting the knees, or possibly lying prone. Realize how badly you need to repent and pray like you mean it. Put your heart into it. This is called being awakened by the holy fear of God and it is a good thing. Fear of the fire of hell will put the fire of love into you for anyone who will save you from it. They had forgotten how badly they needed saving. They don’t need saving from Jesus or from the Father—He loves those whom He “reproves and disciplines.” They need saving by Him. They had been letting go of His Hand and were drifting from His saving embrace. Thinking you’re saved eternally, when you’re doing nothing on your end. That’s being lukewarm. That’s spiritual danger.
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. Revelation 3:20
This verse is often used by evangelists and that’s fine. It’s true and it works splendidly. The lost have the door of their heart shut to the Lord and don’t know how to open it. As they hear His “voice” speaking to them through the gospel, they unlock that door. As they open to Him, Jesus comes in. Then table fellowship abounds as the new convert shares with Him the living bread of divine truth and the joy-inducing wine of the covenant—the forgiveness of sins. That’s great. In fact, it’s out of this world. It’s also taken out of context.
Jesus isn’t speaking to the lost here. He is addressing believers who gather to worship Him in Laodicea in full knowledge of who He is. Well, they do at least know Him as Savior. If they knew Him well enough, they would be expending every ounce of strength and moment of time to get to know Him better. To know Him is to love Him. To love Him is to want to know Him better. This is the never-ending circle of divine fire that Jesus wants to see burning in the hearts of His followers. He’s not seeing it here.
As elsewhere in the letters, Jesus is casting His words through that past time to ours. To “anyone” who hears His voice He issues this call to come up higher. That can include the lost, of course, but we need to be very clear about the context—lest we fall into the sad plight of these lax Laodiceans. Jesus says He is standing outside His own church. He is “at the door” and knocking, hoping they will hear and let Him in. He can’t or won’t “come in” unless we do as He desires: throw the door of our heart wide. Yield our lives entirely to His will. Turn over the operations of our church to Him.
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. Revelation 3:21
It takes fire to live at this level. It takes faith, love and hope that are fixed entirely on Jesus. As we have heard Him say to the other churches, it also takes listening, repenting, holding fast and obeying. There is much to conquer! The world, the flesh and the devils all require special handling. This is not a game the lukewarm can drift through playing half-heartedly. They don’t even know it’s going on. Others do. To those who hear this upward call and wake up, great things are promised. Jesus will grant His overcomers the right to “sit with me on my throne.”
How did Jesus get His throne? We could say that He’s had it from before time since He is God, but that would be the wrong answer. This is the throne of David, the throne of the Davidic kingdom. The One who sits on it holds David’s key of authority as we saw in the letter to Philadelphia. Only a Man can be David’s rightful heir and sit on David’s throne. Jesus had to pass all the tests first—in His humanity—just as He is asking us to do. He also had to conquer under trials and against temptations all the way to the cross. Now, He wants us to do the same. Then we can join Him on His seat. Being seated speaks of rest—rest from trials. Sitting on a throne speaks of authority. Both will come to the overcomers.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'" Revelation 3:22
With this final word of promise Jesus wraps up His letter with the now familiar phrase, “He who has an ear, let Him hear.” We’ve heard it at the end of every letter, but we have also heard it before—long before. This is exactly what He said when describing John the Baptist to the crowds in Galilee and it fits wonderfully well into this context.
From prison John sent his disciples to ask Jesus, if He was the long-awaited Messiah. Jesus sent answer back by way of pointing to the supernatural works He was doing. Then, He turned to the crowds to give honor to John, saying that among those born of women there was none greater. Yet, John could only advance the kingdom. Not having the new birth, he couldn’t enter it.[xiv] We can. Jesus said that “even the least in the kingdom” is (somehow) greater than John. We who have received the new birth are uniquely graced both to advance the kingdom and to enter it. According to Paul, that kingdom is “righteous, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”[xv]
This kingdom is our true inheritance on the earth, our Promised Land. Entering it is our daily calling—and our great delight. Advancing it into other lives is our great commission—and our highest duty. That won’t happen without battles. This is heavily contested territory, otherwise every Christian would already be living in right ways, filled with peace and joy and fully empowered by the Holy Spirit. Jesus knows it. That’s why He told the crowds to prepare for war. Overcomers: You’ve got something to overcome!
From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force... He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Matthew 11:12, 15
Next Sextion
Sucessive Judgments When the seven letters to the churches conclude, the Book shifts into high gear. John is taken straight up to heaven’s throne room. From there he will have a front row seat observing the increasingly terrible judgments which will strike the earth in the Last Days. The opening of the first of the Seven Seals connects directly to the Birth Pains on Jesus’ Matthew 24 timeline. The last of the Seven Bowls is the final judgment which comes at the end of the Great Tribulation, right before Jesus returns. This steady succession of judgments gives us a perfect, unbroken and straightforward timeline upon which all the other events in the Book can be attached.
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Endnotes
[i] Cambridge Dictionary defines speculation as “the act of guessing possible answers to a question without having enough information to be certain.” It derives from the Latin word “speculari” which means “to look at, view, observe” and originally indicated “close observation and intelligent contemplation.” By the late 1500s it gained the disparaging sense it carries today of “mere conjecture.” See etymonline.com.
[ii] https://www.britannica.com/place/Laodicea
[iii] Adam is the type; Jesus, the “second Adam” is the antitype: Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. Romans 5:14
[iv] Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13
[v] But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:13
[vi] This greeting cannot mean that only an angelic dignitary from the invisible realms is the intended recipient, since the rest of the letter makes it clear that Jesus is sending both encouragement and correction to the church’s Christian believers. It does, however, reveal to us that this church has an angel who is over it in some ordained role: as a watchman, a helper or guardian, or a ministering spirit. In fact, according to Jesus’ previous greeting to John, we know that all seven of the churches has its own angel. Does this mean that every Christian church everywhere also has its own angel? Due to silence on this point, it is impossible to say from scripture one way or the other, although the likely supposition would be that this is indeed the case, since God shows no partiality. What then is our protocol for addressing them? What are their proper responsibilities over us and what are ours to them? More silence! (from “Letter 1: Ephesus”)
[vii] Ecclesiastes 7:5
[viii] The verb form occurs more than one hundred times in the Old Testament and means to take care, to be faithful, reliable or established, or to believe someone or something. The idea of something that is faithful, reliable, or believable seems to lie behind the use of amen as an exclamation on twenty-five solemn occasions in the Old Testament. https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/amen/
[ix] Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” John 18:37
[x] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:1-3
[xi] His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Matthew 25:23
[xii] I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14
[xiii] “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:19-20
[xiv] Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. John 3:5
[xv] For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17