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. 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. For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,’ not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 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. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 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. 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. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev. 3:14-22).

One of the worst states a believer or church can fall into is self-deception. Self-deception is when one perceives himself one way, and the truth is far different. Such was the case with the church of Laodicea. They had given into the culture with endless compromise, and thought they were as spiritually wealthy as they were financially. Thus, they had become lukewarm. In His letter to them, Jesus set out to bring them back to life.

Laodicea was about 45 miles southeast of Philadelphia (and about 100 miles due east of Ephesus). Along with Colossae and Hierapolis, it formed a triad of cities in the fertile Lycus Valley. It was an important center for both trade and communication, and it had a large wool industry (its glossy black wool was famous throughout the world), as well as a large banking industry. The city was extremely wealthy, and had a famous school of medicine, which produced a special ointment known for its cure of eye defects.

The True Witness

As in all the previous messages, Christ begins with an introduction referring to His character. Here, He describes Himself as “the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.” These three descriptions all tie together.

The Amen. The word amen is a response to the divine Word. It typically means “it will be done” (when spoken by God or Jesus) and “let it be so” (when spoken by humans, thus standing in agreement with the divine Word). Jesus, then, is the ultimate Amen, in that He perfectly carried out the Father’s will, having said both let it be done and let it be so.

The faithful and true witness. A witness is one who testifies to what he as seen and heard. Jesus is the ultimate witness, knowing the truth of men’s heart, though they seek to hide it. When Christ speaks of what He has seen and knows, we can be assured that He speaks the truth.

The beginning of God’s creation. This phrase may cause confusion if one is not careful. While the Bible teaches that Jesus was begotten of the Father, He was not created in the sense that everything else was. More light can be shed on this phrase when we look at the Greek word translated “beginning.” The word archē can mean “first; beginning,” but it can also mean “principality; ruler.” Thus, the phrase may rightly be translated “the ruler of God’s creation.” Since Jesus often refers to the fact that all authority has been given to Him by the Father, this seems to be the preferred translation.

Taken together, these descriptions show Jesus as the One who holds the authority and power over all creation, and is the One who knows the innermost thoughts and intentions of the heart. He calls all to follow His example of not only saying “amen” but also living a life of “amen.”

Lukewarmness in the Church

As the true and faithful witness, Christ tells the church exactly what He has seen. “I know your works,” he says. He knows they are “neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm.” Because they are neither hot nor cold, he is going to expel them–vomit them from His mouth.

This verse is often misinterpreted, by assigning a state of salvation to being “hot” and a state of “unbelief” to being cold. Yet that would mean Christ would prefer one to be unsaved rather than lukewarm. Since God wills that none perish (John 3:16; 1 Pet. 3:9), and given that the idea of cold or hot as a measure of spiritual temperature would have been a foreign concept to them at the time, this interpretation is simply untenable.

The correct interpretation lies in the fact that Laodicea received water from the two other cities in the region–cool water from Colossae and hot water from Hieropapolis. Both are useful. But when they reached Laodicea, they would often have warmed or cooled to the extent that they were “lukewarm,” which is often useless. The sense, then, is that Christ is telling the church, “You are becoming useless to Me, with your spiritual indifference.”

The Testimony of the Witness

The cause of this lukewarm state is then described by Christ in verse 17. Notice the difference between the assessment by the church and the assessment by the Lord:

For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing. The Laodiceans had become as prosperous as the city around them. They had accommodated over and over, and now were just like the culture, indeed, a part of the culture.

Not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Not only did Christ give His own (true) evaluation, but He points out that the church is blind to their true state. This is self-deception, when one remains blinded to the true condition of his heart. These descriptions are in direct opposition to the Laodiceans’ evaluation of themselves.

The Counsel of the Witness

What can the church do to correct this state of affairs? Christ counsels them (not threatens, not warns, but counsels) to buy from Him the thing they really need:

Gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich. The gold that Christ offers is pure gold, for it has been refined by fire. Material wealth can never compare to what Christ offers. And the spiritual wealth that He offers is bought by obedience to His Word.

White garments so that you may clothe yourself. In the spiritual realm, the realm that counts, the black woolen clothing that the city was famous for was useless. Christ counsels the Laodiceans to buy white (spotless) clothing to cover their nakedness.

Salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. This was perhaps the biggest problem of all. The Laodiceans were blind to their true condition. And in this case, the special ointment of Laodicea would be useless. The church needed Christ’s salve to open their eyes.

The Exhortations of the Witness

Even in the wretched condition that the Laodiceans find themselves, Christ assures them of His love. “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent” (v. 19, emphasis added). He loves the believers. He calls them to have their eyes opened. To repent. The implication of this statement is that He will restore them if only they will show true zeal in repentance.

How should the Laodiceans show their repentance? By opening the door that Christ stands at knocking (v. 20). While some interpret this verse in an evangelistic manner (to unbelievers), it was applied to the church, to those who at least by profession were believers. To those who do repent and open that door to Christ, they are promised that “I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” In the culture of the day, sharing a meal was the highest form of fellowship. Christ is calling the church to true fellowship with Him, but that requires repentance and faith.

Finally, to the one who does open the door and remains faithful, Christ promises that such a one will reign with Him (“sit with Me on my throne”). In this verse, as with the other letters, conquer does not mean physical force; rather it means to hold fast to the faith and teachings of Christ, overcoming the fleshly desires of the world.

Let us then remain useful to Christ, not being lukewarm. Let us continue to have our eyes opened to His Word so that we may have fellowship with Him.

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: “The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (Rev. 3:7-13).

Among the seven churches in Revelation, the church of Philadelphia was the most faithful. There are no words of hesitation or condemnation (except against the enemies of the church).

Philadelphia was created by King Attalus II (159–138 B.C.), who was given the nickname Philadelphus, which means “brother lover” (he was very fond of his brother). The city lay some twenty-five miles southeast of Sardis. As with the other cities around it, Sardis was prosperous, having a rich vine-growing district, as well as leather and textile industries. The church’s faithfulness can be seen in the fact that long after all the surrounding country had succumbed to Muslim control under Turkey, Philadelphia held out as a Christian populace till 1392.

Holding the Key of David

The speaker (Christ) identifies Himself as “the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.” These characteristics reflect back on several aspects of Jesus.

Holiness is an essential characteristic of God (and Jesus, being God-incarnate). Without holiness, God would cease to be God. While of course including freedom from any type of moral impurity, holiness embodies all the other characteristics of God (love, justice, mercy, etc.). It is similar to white light that contains all other colors together. Jesus therefore claims to be God-incarnate, the One to whom all mankind will give account.

The true one reflects back to Jesus’ statement, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6, emphasis added). Not only does Jesus speak the truth, but He is the embodiment of truth. No truth exists outside Him, and all truth is His truth. Paul was right in mentioning “the belt of truth” (Eph. 6:14). Truth holds all things together.

Who has the key of David refers to Christ as the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant. David was told that his seed would rule the kingdom forever. It also refers to Jesus’ statement to Peter about giving the keys to the kingdom (Matt. 16:15). In Israel, the King always held the keys, unless he delegated someone else to act in his authority. Christ alone grants entrance into the Kingdom of God. (This is likely to combat the teaching of the Jews in that city that they alone were the gatekeepers to the Kingdom.)

The Open Door

Christ begins by using His key. He tells the church, “I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut.” The sense is, “Because I know your works, I have opened the door to you, and no one can shut it.” The “works” He mentions here are elaborated on:

• You have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. The ‘power’ referred to here is likely political or physical power. The church appears weak to the world, but their faith is strong. That faith has enabled them to publicly confess their allegiance to Christ and keep His commandments.
• You have kept my word about patient endurance. Patience and endurance always refers to perseverance in the midst of trials and persecution. Rather than complaining or losing hope, the church of Philadelphia has endured patiently as good soldiers of Christ (2 Tim. 2:3).

The church had remained faithful even in the face of persecution by “those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie.” This likely refers to the Jews who vehemently (and often violently) oppose the teaching that Jesus is the Messiah and persecute those who teach this doctrine. Because Christ has the key of David, He thus is denying the Jews’ claim that they are the true people of God. The open door, then, is assurance of entrance into the Kingdom.

Preservation Because of Perseverance

Because the church has kept His Word and has been patiently enduring persecution, Christ promises that those Jews will acknowledge that Christ is Lord and that “I have loved you.” The church is not called to conquer those Jews and force them to bow. Rather Christ Himself will come and make them bow, acknowledging the rightness of the church’s belief and standing before God.

Not only that, but the church is also promised to be kept “from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.” This promise has caused much debate over the centuries, particularly in the Rapture/Tribulation debate, since Christ mentions the trial that is coming on the whole world” and to “try those who dwell on the earth.” This seems to indicate that all who are on the earth will experience that great trial (often known in the OT as the “Day of the Lord”).

Will the church go through the great tribulation? The phrase “keep you from the hour of tribulation” could have two meanings: 1) removal from the tribulation; or 2) keeping safe in the midst of the tribulation. Either of these is a likely rendering in the context of the letter. It’s not necessary, therefore, to answer that question to understand the meaning. The bottom line of the promise is that the church will be protected, whether by removal from or by preservation in the midst of the the tribulation. Whichever view one takes of that question should be held loosely.

One final promise is given; “I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God.” This is a promise of a permanent place in the Kingdom of God. It also speaks of the believers collectively as the Temple of Christ. We are the pillars of that temple, having been built on the foundation of Christ (1 Cor. 3:10-11). And again, this speaks to an assurance that the believers will be granted entrance into the Kingdom. For those faithful to Christ, their place in the Kingdom and the Temple of God is assured.

Next: Lukewarm Laodiceans

And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: “The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev. 3:1-6).

Many people want to live in the past, reliving their “glory days,” whether in sports, fame, or ministry. Instead of continuing the journey, they get stuck. The church of Sardis had fallen into this trap.

Sardis was about thirty miles south of Thyatira. It was known both as a commercially prosperous and militarily important city of the time. Three aspects of the area are notable: an 800-foot high acropolis, a temple to Artemis (unfinished), and a necropolis (cemetery), known as “the place of a thousand hills.” Sardis was also home to a large woolen industry, which may explain the reference to clothing in verse 4. The prosperous living of the citizens soon lapsed into moral indifference and decadence, as the citizens relived their past glories of being the capital city of Asia for Persia.

Alive but Dead

Christ introduces Himself to the church as the one “who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.” We mentioned in a previous post (Last Words: The Author and Judge) that the seven stars are the seven angels of (or messengers to) the churches. The “seven spirits of God’ would represent the fullness of the Holy Spirit (seven being the number of perfection or completion). So, Christ is telling the church, “I am the one who holds the churches in My hand and who sends the Holy Spirit to you, to enable your service and judge your deficiencies.”

Christ knows their “deeds.” They have, He says, a reputation of being alive. At one time, the church was full of His love and service. But, they have lost that. They are dead, He says. This is the strongest condemnation given to any church (even Laodicea was described as “lukewarm,” not dead). What has caused this state of affairs? Christ doesn’t lay out as many specific charges as with some other churches, but there are some things that can be seen:

• “Wake up.” This command is given because the church is in a state of lethargy, spiritual sleep. They are going through the motions of things with no real motivation.
• “I have not found your works complete.” The church of Sardis was showing at best half-hearted devotion to Christ.
• “You have still a few . . . people who have not soiled their garments.” The implication here is that those who have held fast to Christ in full devotion are in the minority. The church at large has abandoned Him.

The Call to Repent

The church is to do three things, lest they be found unprepared at His coming. They are to:

“Remember what you received and heard.” At one time the true message of God had been declared to this church, and they had received it and kept it. Repentance always starts with remembering the truth of God’s Word.

“Keep it [what you received and heard].” When Christ and the New Testament writers use the phrase “keep My Word,” they mean that we are to to not only know it and remember it, but live it. “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). This is likely the state that the church has found themselves in. They knew the Word of God, yet failed to obey it. When we do that, we fall into self-deception. The solution to that is to begin to keep (read “obey”) it.

“Repent.” This is a simple and straightforward command. Repent means first to change my thinking on a matter, and then act accordingly. Repentance involves a change of attitude that results in a change of behavior. They are to once again be fully devoted to Christ, both in heart and in works.

To the Overcomer

Soiled garments often represent moral and ritual (in the OT) uncleanness. Whether from outward disobedience or a corrupted heart, the picture is one of moral filth.

Notice, however, that Christ doesn’t call the church to “wash your garments” or even “change your garments.” For those who repent and remain faithful, He promises this: “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments.” The implication is that Christ Himself changes the garments. We have no power to cleanse ourselves, only His blood and the Holy Spirit can do that.

Two additional promises are given, and both flow from the change of garments. First, Christ promises that “I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” He will look at the Father and say, “Yes, this one belongs to me. I know his name. She loves me.” This is by far the highest compliment a believer can be given. And it’s all because of His grace.

Second, Christ promises to never remove the faithful believer from the book of life. In ancient cities the names of citizens were recorded in a register till their death; then their names were marked out of that book. Christ offers this assurance to the faithful believer. He will have an eternal citizenship in heaven, which will never be terminated. Thus, the believer can say with the words of Paul,

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:37-39).

Next: Perseverance in Philadelphia

And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. “I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev. 2:18-29).

Regardless of church denominations, Jesus always deals with individual congregations. He looks at each congregation apart from the others. This is what’s represented by His eyes of fire. He sees past the outward works to the very heart of everything.

Words of Commendation

Jesus begins His message by reminding the church that He sees and knows the true condition of the church and the believers who comprise it. He is the one who has “eyes like a flame of fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.” In this context, His feet remind the church that He is coming again to both judge and conquer His enemies.

As with the other churches, Christ knows the works of the church: “your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.” Notice here in addition to knowing the love, faith, service, and endurance, the Lord know that the church is growing spiritually (“your latter works exceed the first”). They are growing in the works He has just mentioned. That is the mark of a true church.

Words of Warning

As with most of the churches, Christ proceeds to give a warning: “But I have this against you.” In this case, the church at Thyatira tolerates “that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.” Whether there was an actual woman in the church named Jezebel, there are a few things that are apparent:

• She “calls herself a prophetess.” This would seem to imply that she had assumed a title or office that the Lord did not confirm. Throughout Acts and the NT letters, it’s clear that the Lord appoints offices of ministry and leadership, and such appointments are acknowledged by the elders of the church. This doesn’t seem to have been the case here.
• She “is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.” Whether the ‘sexual immorality’ mentioned is physical fornication is debatable; often the term is used in Scripture to denote spiritual unfaithfulness to God. While physical fornication can’t be ruled out, it seems the stress is spiritual in nature, especially if you combine both phrases. This person was turning people in the church away from Christ to others. (That this is a good interpretation is supported by Paul’s comments in 1 Cor. 10:14-22.)

A word of caution is in order here before proceeding. This passage and the corresponding OT passages referring to Jezebel are often taught in the context of a “Jezebel spirit,” implying that women alone are susceptible to it. It is just as often used to spiritually abuse women and justify excluding women from leadership.

However, the point of this passage is not on the gender of the person involved. “that woman Jezebel” is mentioned to represent one (male or female) who turns the faithful away from worship of the true God. (Note that Balaam was mentioned in two previous letters, but one rarely hears of a spirit of Balaam directed against men.) The emphasis of the passage is that she assumed an office of leadership that the Lord did not put her in. Many men do likewise. We should not push the passage beyond what it intends to teach.

The Call to Repent

Christ has given her time to repent, he tells the church. However, He says, she refuses to repent. The sin is open and willful. (The fact that Christ charges the church with tolerating her shows that the church is aware of her and what’s going on.) Since she has not repented, Christ pronounces judgment against her and those with her. Notice that His strongest condemnation against Jezebel is not the sin itself but her refusal to repent.

• He “will throw her onto a sickbed.” This phrase probably means more than just a normal sickness, probably a pestilence, plague or something. Note that he does not say, “Unless she repents” (as he does with “those who commit adultery with her”). He has given her plenty of time to repent and she has refused.
• For those “who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation.” Most likely, this refers to people who have been under Jezebel’s sway for a time, perhaps even co-teachers with her now. Christ qualifies the judgment with “unless they repent of her works.” (We take “those who commit adultery with her” and “her children” to be the same.) He will cast them into great tribulation, in order to wake them up and give them a chance to repent. If they refuse to repent, Christ will “strike them dead, an expression that means “cut off.”

The judgments seem severe, but two things must be remembered. First, Christ always gives time to repent. Second, His goal is the purity of His church and He takes that very seriously. His judgments are always in keeping with the nature and severity of sin. But judgment can be avoided through true repentance. They will also serve as an example to all the churches. He says, “All the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.”

A Final Word of Encouragement

Now, Christ speaks to the “rest” of the church, to those who “do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan.” The phrase deep things of Satan is particularly appropriate if the heretical group is engaging in idol worship, since false gods are nothing more than Satan’s counterfeits. It may be that Jezebel taught that she had access to special knowledge or power through knowledge of these dark realms. But “the rest” the church (perhaps even a minority) had stayed true to Christ.

To those in the church, Christ says, “I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come.” He need not give them any new commandments, since they are adhering to what He has commanded them previously. And John tells us that “His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). That minority in the church is to hold fast to what they know, believe, and practice until the Lord comes for them. For those that do, He promises, “I will give authority over the nations.” The faithful are promised to rule the nations with an rod of iron.

This doesn’t mean that such a ruler will be cruel or vindictive, only that his power will be unchallenged. If judgment must be pronounced, it will be done in Christ’s authority. And Christ’s authority is the Father’s authority, “even as I myself have received authority from my Father.”

Finally, the faithful are promised “the morning star.” This may refer to Christ Himself. Thus, the faithful believers will see Christ personally, who will reward them for their faithfulness. It may also be a promise of eternal light that vanquishes the spiritual darkness surrounding them. Both are great promises and neither excludes the other.

One thing this passage reminds us is that in every congregation, Christ has a remnant of faithful believers who hold fast to His teachings. While He does charge them to not tolerate unfaithfulness, in the end he says to remain faithful. That is our call today: Remain faithful in the midst of spiritual darkness.

Next: Soiled in Sardis