Key Texts:Revelation 3:14–22, John 15:9, Jeremiah 31:3
Study Focus:Rev. 3:14–22.
In this lesson, we will confront the reality of our current spiritual condition as a church. This reality concerns us both corporately, as God’s people, and personally, as individuals. Our analysis of our condition will be conducted in light of the apocalyptic message to the church of the Laodiceans. This message comprises the seventh, and final, letter to the churches in Asia Minor, as found in the book of Revelation. The seven letters, contained in chapters 2 and 3, are prophecies that cover the history of the Christian church, from the period of the early church to the time of the end. God Himself addresses His church in these letters.
Of course, the seven churches of “Asia” do not refer literally to contemporary churches, which, obviously, are far more numerous today than in John’s time. Rather, in the tradition of the Old Testament prophecies (Dan. 2, 7, 8; Jer. 6:2), the book of Revelation employs figures to convey its eschatological message. Specifically, the literal churches, with their historical and geographical characteristics, are used as symbolic representations of prophetic truth. By way of example, a cursory glance at the progression of the Lord’s movements on behalf of His church, as portrayed in the seven letters, suggests that the literal coming of the Lord advances nearer and nearer:
Ephesus: The Lord “walks” (Rev. 2:1, NKJV).
Smyrna: The Lord “was dead, and came to life” (Rev. 2:8, NKJV).
Pergamum: The Lord admonishes His people to “ ‘repent, or else I will come to you quickly’ ” (Rev. 2:16, NKJV).
Thyatira: The Lord earnestly urges His people to hold fast to what they have “ ‘till I come’ ” (Rev. 2:25, NKJV).
Sardis: The Lord warns His people that if they don’t hold fast and repent, “ ‘I will come upon you as a thief’ ” (Rev. 3:3, NKJV).
Philadelphia: The Lord exclaims, “ ‘Behold, I am coming quickly!’ ” (Rev. 3:11, NKJV).
Laodicea: The Lord states the proximity of His position relative to the heart of His people, announcing, “ ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock’ ” (Rev. 3:20, NKJV).
The message to the Laodiceans marks, therefore, the crucial moment when the coming of the Lord is the closest: He now knocks at the door of the heart. He awaits our response to His gracious invitation to give Him entrance that He may abide with us (read also Col. 1:27).
Part II: Commentary
Introduction: The letter to the church of Laodicea is a prophecy that predicts the spiritual condition of God’s people in the last days and urges them to respond accordingly. The Author of the message is designated by three titles, which refer to human history from the end to the beginning, following the effect-cause-effect sequence that is typically Hebrew. The first title is “the Amen” (Rev. 3:14), the word that concludes Christian prayer and expresses the eschatological hope of the fulfillment of God’s promise of salvation (2 Cor. 1:20). The title “faithful and true witness” refers to God’s presence during the continuous course of human history. “The beginning of the creation of God” refers to the Creator who began history. These titles hearken back to the description of Jesus Christ, as seen in Revelation’s introductory vision of the Son of man, who is portrayed as “the faithful witness” and “the first begotten of the dead” (Rev. 1:5).
The letter to the church of Laodicea involves three principal figures: (1) the messenger, who is the angel of the church of Laodicea (Rev. 3:14); (2) the Author of the letter, who is Jesus; and (3) the people who receive the message. The message itself is divided into four sections. First, God is presented as the Judge who knows (Rev. 3:15). Second, attention is directed to God’s people, who are unaware of their true condition (Rev. 3:16, 17). Third, the Lord responds to their plight and counsels His people as to the remedy (Rev. 3:18). Fourth, the letter reveals the extent of God’s love for His people (Rev. 3:19–21).
We shall look more closely at each section in the commentary that follows.
Section 1: The Judge of the People. In this first section, the Lord confronts His people with a diagnosis of their condition. But even before He diagnoses them, He reminds them of His omniscience: “ ‘I know your works’ ” (Rev. 3:15, NKJV). In the Psalms, David begins his prayer of confession with this same awareness: “O Lord, You have searched me and known me” (Ps. 139:1, NKJV). The people cannot escape God’s eyes: “Where can I go from Your Spirit?” (Ps. 139:7, NKJV). God is perceived as the Judge who can see everything (Heb. 12:23, 2 Tim. 4:1, Prov. 5:21, Prov. 15:3). There is no evading or deceiving the penetrating eye of the great Judge, who is also our Creator: “For You formed my inward parts” (Ps. 139:13, NKJV); and “He who formed the eye, shall He not see?” (Ps. 94:9, NKJV).
Significantly, in the tradition of the ancient Hebrew prophet Micah (Mic. 1:10–16), John plays on geographical place names, which imbue the biblical text with deep spiritual significance. Thus, the name Laodicea, which means “justice of the people,” reminds God’s people that He will do three things for them: (1) He will deliver a favorable and just verdict on their behalf in the day of judgment; (2) He will avenge them against their enemies; and (3) the meaning of the name Laodicea, “justice of the people,” reminds us of Christ’s substitutionary work to save His followers from the wrath of a just and holy God against sin. The just requirements of the law have been fulfilled through the atoning sacrifice of Christ. Thus, God can mercifully deliver His people from sin’s penalty. In the fullest sense, then, as the One who commutes their death sentence by accepting the penalty Himself, Christ stands in as the “justice of the people.”
Section 2: The People’s Condition. God’s first charge against Laodicea concerns their religious profession. They are “neither cold nor hot” but lukewarm (Rev. 3:15, 16).
God’s people claim to be “rich” (Rev. 3:17). That is, they are wealthy in Bible truth; they are “the remnant,” after all. They think that they are the laos dikaios, “the righteous people” (ironically, another meaning of the name “Laodicea”). Yet, they are guilty of a fivefold deficiency: they are poor, wretched, miserable, blind, and naked. They believe that they see; they claim to have great spiritual understanding. They boast about the great truths of which they are the custodians. Yet, they are unable to see their own condition or their true need: they are destitute of the Holy Spirit. They are not sanctified by the truths they profess. It is their self-assured claim and their inability to see their need that produces and nourishes their pride and their lack of humility: thus, they boast that they “have need of nothing” (Rev. 3:17). Nor do they feel the need to learn anything, to grow, to change, or to realize the cause of their miserable condition. As a result, they do not feel the need of repentance.
Section 3: The Lord’s Counsels. Considering the people’s condition, God’s counsels to Laodicea are a direct response to their three needs. The first need concerns their profession of faith, which is compared to lukewarm water. Lukewarm water is repulsive to drink. For this reason, God warns His people that He will “spue thee out of my mouth” (Rev. 3:16). That is, He will vomit them up, just as ancient Israel in Old Testament times had been warned (Lev. 18:25). The fact that the Laodicean people are neither cold nor hot further indicates their delusive thinking that they are rich in God’s favor while, on the contrary, they are spiritually impoverished.
God’s advice, then, to Laodicea is first to buy from Him gold refined in the fire. This small detail about the quality of the gold has significant implications: it suggests that God’s people should not content themselves with cheap gold, amalgamated with dross. Nor should they settle for false gold, which has only the color and the appearance of genuine gold. By these symbols, the Lord warns His people against a false and superficial religion. Thus, God urges His people to buy the genuine article from Him.
God’s second piece of advice concerns the garments of His people. Because they are naked, God counsels them to buy also “white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed” (Rev. 3:18). Elsewhere in Revelation, John tells us that the New Jerusalem, the Lamb’s bride, is “arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints” (Rev. 19:8). Because our righteousness is, at best, “as filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6), we need the righteousness of Christ to cover our nakedness, as illustrated by the white raiment. The whiteness exemplifies purity, representing God’s imputed and imparted righteousness. Because His people are unable to see their true condition, God recommends that they anoint their eyes with “eyesalve” to restore their vision. Then they may become aware of their nakedness and their dire need of the divinely appointed remedial agencies.
Section 4: The Lord’s Love. God’s diagnosis of His people’s true condition is designed to awaken within them a sense of their genuine helplessness, and hopelessness, apart from Him (Rev. 3:15–18). Then, in verse 19, God expresses the infinite measure of His love.
The prophet Jeremiah uses the same language when He refers to God’s “everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3). The Hebrew ‘olam, which is generally translated “everlasting,” refers to more than a chronological quality or long duration. This term is an idiomatic way of expressing the idea of great intensity. That is, God’s love is so intense and so great that it is beyond measure. It is like the infinite character of eternity itself. The eternity of God’s love is thus revealed to His people in order to awaken within them a positive response to His chastening: “ ‘Therefore be zealous and repent’ ” (Rev. 3:19, NKJV).
At this moment, immediately after His words of pastoral exhortation, the Lord’s discourse becomes more personal. So far, God has addressed Laodicea collectively as His people, as the aggregate church of the last days. Now, in verse 20, He suddenly turns to each believer within that church as the unique individual whom He loves personally and with whom He entertains a distinct relationship. It is significant that in the apocalyptic repetition of the number seven, the verb “I love,” in the first person, is followed by seven more verbs that express the Lord’s intense and personal love for each one of us (Rev. 3:19–21): (1) “ ‘I rebuke,’ ” (2) “ ‘I chasten,’ ” (3) “ ‘I stand at the door,’ ” (4) “ ‘[I] knock,’ ” (5) “ ‘I will come in to him,’ ” (6) “ ‘I will dine with him, and he with Me,’ ” and (7) “ ‘I will grant to sit with Me on My throne.’ ”
Part III: Life Application
Teacher’s Tip: Ask for a volunteer to reread the message to the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:14–22. Then discuss the following activities and questions with your class.
God’s Critiques of His Church:
“You are neither cold nor hot” (Rev. 3:15, NKJV).
Find cases in which this prophecy has been fulfilled in the church and within your own personal experience.
What can you do to address the problem of lukewarmness without falling into fanaticism?
“You say, ‘I am rich . . . and have need of nothing’ ” (Rev. 3:17, NKJV).
List cases in which your church, in the past or in the present, has boasted, to its detriment, of spiritual, material, or missiological wealth and achievements.
How does God’s counsel to the Laodicean church help guard against this prideful attitude?
God’s Demands
“ ‘Buy from Me gold refined in the fire’ ” (Rev. 3:18, NKJV).
For Reflection: In Revelation 3:18, Christ makes an appeal that goes against human tradition and the human effort to reach truth. The immediate application of this counsel concerns the need to look for God’s revelation and to search the Scriptures seriously. We must not search just to find there an argument to defend our system of truth, as in the case of a series of proof texts. We also must take joy in the discovery of truth that will surprise, challenge, and disrupt entrenched ideas, ultimately leading to repentance and our transformation into the image of God. The search for gold refined in the furnace of affliction also refers to the love and faith that are developed amid the challenges and sufferings that come with the choice to walk with God.
What does God’s counsel to dress in “white garments” (Rev. 3:18, NKJV) mean to you in your spiritual journey?
What must you do to acquire these white clothes?
Activity:
God’s Love
Ask your students to keep a journal this quarter, recording stories in their lives in which they experienced God’s love. Have them consider or reflect on the following questions and write down their responses:
When were you chastised by God?
When did you cry at the foot of the cross?
When did you hear God knocking at the door of your heart?
When did you joyfully respond to His appeal?
Did you experience a special moment with the Lord in the midst of the intimacy of prayer?
Have you ever clearly seen the Lord’s hand in some particular event in your life?
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Key Texts: Revelation 3:14–22, John 15:9, Jeremiah 31:3
Study Focus: Rev. 3:14–22.
In this lesson, we will confront the reality of our current spiritual condition as a church. This reality concerns us both corporately, as God’s people, and personally, as individuals. Our analysis of our condition will be conducted in light of the apocalyptic message to the church of the Laodiceans. This message comprises the seventh, and final, letter to the churches in Asia Minor, as found in the book of Revelation. The seven letters, contained in chapters 2 and 3, are prophecies that cover the history of the Christian church, from the period of the early church to the time of the end. God Himself addresses His church in these letters.
Of course, the seven churches of “Asia” do not refer literally to contemporary churches, which, obviously, are far more numerous today than in John’s time. Rather, in the tradition of the Old Testament prophecies (Dan. 2, 7, 8; Jer. 6:2), the book of Revelation employs figures to convey its eschatological message. Specifically, the literal churches, with their historical and geographical characteristics, are used as symbolic representations of prophetic truth. By way of example, a cursory glance at the progression of the Lord’s movements on behalf of His church, as portrayed in the seven letters, suggests that the literal coming of the Lord advances nearer and nearer:
The message to the Laodiceans marks, therefore, the crucial moment when the coming of the Lord is the closest: He now knocks at the door of the heart. He awaits our response to His gracious invitation to give Him entrance that He may abide with us (read also Col. 1:27).
Part II: Commentary
Introduction: The letter to the church of Laodicea is a prophecy that predicts the spiritual condition of God’s people in the last days and urges them to respond accordingly. The Author of the message is designated by three titles, which refer to human history from the end to the beginning, following the effect-cause-effect sequence that is typically Hebrew. The first title is “the Amen” (Rev. 3:14), the word that concludes Christian prayer and expresses the eschatological hope of the fulfillment of God’s promise of salvation (2 Cor. 1:20). The title “faithful and true witness” refers to God’s presence during the continuous course of human history. “The beginning of the creation of God” refers to the Creator who began history. These titles hearken back to the description of Jesus Christ, as seen in Revelation’s introductory vision of the Son of man, who is portrayed as “the faithful witness” and “the first begotten of the dead” (Rev. 1:5).
The letter to the church of Laodicea involves three principal figures: (1) the messenger, who is the angel of the church of Laodicea (Rev. 3:14); (2) the Author of the letter, who is Jesus; and (3) the people who receive the message. The message itself is divided into four sections. First, God is presented as the Judge who knows (Rev. 3:15). Second, attention is directed to God’s people, who are unaware of their true condition (Rev. 3:16, 17). Third, the Lord responds to their plight and counsels His people as to the remedy (Rev. 3:18). Fourth, the letter reveals the extent of God’s love for His people (Rev. 3:19–21).
We shall look more closely at each section in the commentary that follows.
Section 1: The Judge of the People. In this first section, the Lord confronts His people with a diagnosis of their condition. But even before He diagnoses them, He reminds them of His omniscience: “ ‘I know your works’ ” (Rev. 3:15, NKJV). In the Psalms, David begins his prayer of confession with this same awareness: “O Lord, You have searched me and known me” (Ps. 139:1, NKJV). The people cannot escape God’s eyes: “Where can I go from Your Spirit?” (Ps. 139:7, NKJV). God is perceived as the Judge who can see everything (Heb. 12:23, 2 Tim. 4:1, Prov. 5:21, Prov. 15:3). There is no evading or deceiving the penetrating eye of the great Judge, who is also our Creator: “For You formed my inward parts” (Ps. 139:13, NKJV); and “He who formed the eye, shall He not see?” (Ps. 94:9, NKJV).
Significantly, in the tradition of the ancient Hebrew prophet Micah (Mic. 1:10–16), John plays on geographical place names, which imbue the biblical text with deep spiritual significance. Thus, the name Laodicea, which means “justice of the people,” reminds God’s people that He will do three things for them: (1) He will deliver a favorable and just verdict on their behalf in the day of judgment; (2) He will avenge them against their enemies; and (3) the meaning of the name Laodicea, “justice of the people,” reminds us of Christ’s substitutionary work to save His followers from the wrath of a just and holy God against sin. The just requirements of the law have been fulfilled through the atoning sacrifice of Christ. Thus, God can mercifully deliver His people from sin’s penalty. In the fullest sense, then, as the One who commutes their death sentence by accepting the penalty Himself, Christ stands in as the “justice of the people.”
Section 2: The People’s Condition. God’s first charge against Laodicea concerns their religious profession. They are “neither cold nor hot” but lukewarm (Rev. 3:15, 16).
God’s people claim to be “rich” (Rev. 3:17). That is, they are wealthy in Bible truth; they are “the remnant,” after all. They think that they are the laos dikaios, “the righteous people” (ironically, another meaning of the name “Laodicea”). Yet, they are guilty of a fivefold deficiency: they are poor, wretched, miserable, blind, and naked. They believe that they see; they claim to have great spiritual understanding. They boast about the great truths of which they are the custodians. Yet, they are unable to see their own condition or their true need: they are destitute of the Holy Spirit. They are not sanctified by the truths they profess. It is their self-assured claim and their inability to see their need that produces and nourishes their pride and their lack of humility: thus, they boast that they “have need of nothing” (Rev. 3:17). Nor do they feel the need to learn anything, to grow, to change, or to realize the cause of their miserable condition. As a result, they do not feel the need of repentance.
Section 3: The Lord’s Counsels. Considering the people’s condition, God’s counsels to Laodicea are a direct response to their three needs. The first need concerns their profession of faith, which is compared to lukewarm water. Lukewarm water is repulsive to drink. For this reason, God warns His people that He will “spue thee out of my mouth” (Rev. 3:16). That is, He will vomit them up, just as ancient Israel in Old Testament times had been warned (Lev. 18:25). The fact that the Laodicean people are neither cold nor hot further indicates their delusive thinking that they are rich in God’s favor while, on the contrary, they are spiritually impoverished.
God’s advice, then, to Laodicea is first to buy from Him gold refined in the fire. This small detail about the quality of the gold has significant implications: it suggests that God’s people should not content themselves with cheap gold, amalgamated with dross. Nor should they settle for false gold, which has only the color and the appearance of genuine gold. By these symbols, the Lord warns His people against a false and superficial religion. Thus, God urges His people to buy the genuine article from Him.
God’s second piece of advice concerns the garments of His people. Because they are naked, God counsels them to buy also “white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed” (Rev. 3:18). Elsewhere in Revelation, John tells us that the New Jerusalem, the Lamb’s bride, is “arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints” (Rev. 19:8). Because our righteousness is, at best, “as filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6), we need the righteousness of Christ to cover our nakedness, as illustrated by the white raiment. The whiteness exemplifies purity, representing God’s imputed and imparted righteousness. Because His people are unable to see their true condition, God recommends that they anoint their eyes with “eyesalve” to restore their vision. Then they may become aware of their nakedness and their dire need of the divinely appointed remedial agencies.
Section 4: The Lord’s Love. God’s diagnosis of His people’s true condition is designed to awaken within them a sense of their genuine helplessness, and hopelessness, apart from Him (Rev. 3:15–18). Then, in verse 19, God expresses the infinite measure of His love.
The prophet Jeremiah uses the same language when He refers to God’s “everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3). The Hebrew ‘olam, which is generally translated “everlasting,” refers to more than a chronological quality or long duration. This term is an idiomatic way of expressing the idea of great intensity. That is, God’s love is so intense and so great that it is beyond measure. It is like the infinite character of eternity itself. The eternity of God’s love is thus revealed to His people in order to awaken within them a positive response to His chastening: “ ‘Therefore be zealous and repent’ ” (Rev. 3:19, NKJV).
At this moment, immediately after His words of pastoral exhortation, the Lord’s discourse becomes more personal. So far, God has addressed Laodicea collectively as His people, as the aggregate church of the last days. Now, in verse 20, He suddenly turns to each believer within that church as the unique individual whom He loves personally and with whom He entertains a distinct relationship. It is significant that in the apocalyptic repetition of the number seven, the verb “I love,” in the first person, is followed by seven more verbs that express the Lord’s intense and personal love for each one of us (Rev. 3:19–21): (1) “ ‘I rebuke,’ ” (2) “ ‘I chasten,’ ” (3) “ ‘I stand at the door,’ ” (4) “ ‘[I] knock,’ ” (5) “ ‘I will come in to him,’ ” (6) “ ‘I will dine with him, and he with Me,’ ” and (7) “ ‘I will grant to sit with Me on My throne.’ ”
Part III: Life Application
Teacher’s Tip: Ask for a volunteer to reread the message to the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:14–22. Then discuss the following activities and questions with your class.
God’s Critiques of His Church:
God’s Demands
For Reflection: In Revelation 3:18, Christ makes an appeal that goes against human tradition and the human effort to reach truth. The immediate application of this counsel concerns the need to look for God’s revelation and to search the Scriptures seriously. We must not search just to find there an argument to defend our system of truth, as in the case of a series of proof texts. We also must take joy in the discovery of truth that will surprise, challenge, and disrupt entrenched ideas, ultimately leading to repentance and our transformation into the image of God. The search for gold refined in the furnace of affliction also refers to the love and faith that are developed amid the challenges and sufferings that come with the choice to walk with God.
Activity:
God’s Love
Ask your students to keep a journal this quarter, recording stories in their lives in which they experienced God’s love. Have them consider or reflect on the following questions and write down their responses: