Revelation 3:14-22 Church in Laodicea

Rev. 3:14   “To the angel of the church in  Laodicea write:

The Amen, the faithful and true Witness,  the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

Rev. 3:15   ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot;  I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will  spit you out of My mouth. 17 ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to  buy from Me  gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and  white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that  the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore 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 will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 ‘ He who overcomes, I will grant to him  to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame 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.’”

Map created in Accordance Bible Atlas 2.2

1.  To whom are verses 14-22 addressed? 

“the angel of the church in Laodicea” (3:14).

•       Laodicea was an affluent city in the western part of the Roman province of Asia (modern Turkey), located 11 miles west of Colossae and 100 miles east of Ephesus. Mystery religions, such as the cult of Isis, thrived in the decadent city. 

2.  How is the speaker described? (3:14)

“The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God” (3:14).

3.  Of what does Jesus know concerning the church in Laodicea? (3:15)

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot” (3:15b).

4.  What does Jesus have against the church in Laodicea? (3:16-17)

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot;  I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked” (3:15-17).

•        “spit” – ἐμέσαι (aorist active infinitive of ἐμέω) – “to vomit, throw up” “spew someone from one’s mouth like undrinkable water” (BDAG, 322).
•        “In any thermal area waters of cold streams mingle with the hot chemical-impregnated effluents of thermal springs. The result is a lukewarm mixture, nauseating in the extreme” (Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, 1309).

5.  What does Jesus tell the church in Laodicea to do? (3:18-19)

“I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent” (3:18-19).

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (3:22).

6.  What does Jesus promise the church in Laodicea? (3:20-21)

“Behold, I stand at the door and  knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door,  I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him  to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (20-21).

7.  How does the message to the church of Laodicea apply to the church today?

Lukewarm faith arouses the Lord’s urge to spew.

LORD God Almighty, You are clothed in splendor and majesty, awesome in power, captivating. You are exalted on high, yet You are near. You hear and respond when sought with whole heart and soul. Each fresh glimpse of Your glory inspires worship, absolute trust, zealous pursuit. Jesus is the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of Your creation, the firstborn of the dead. Jesus, who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood, has made us to be a kingdom, priests to You, His God and Father. Those who worship You must worship in spirit and in truth. As the world grows darker, it becomes more difficult to withstand desensitization, demoralization, and homogenization. Devotion becomes diluted through decadence, and worship grows stagnate in sin. Lukewarm faith nauseates the Lord. May You intervene. Stir a spirit of revival. Save us from the murky mire of this present world and deliver the compromised of heart and mind. May Your Spirit minister gloriously amongst us, awakening a fervent, contagious faith that causes the cold to become colder and the hot become hotter. May the lukewarm be flushed and overcome by zealous faith and love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Revelation 3:7-13 Church in Philadelphia

Rev. 3:7   “And to the angel of the church in  Philadelphia write:

He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:

Rev. 3:8   ‘ I know your  deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and  have not denied My name. 9 ‘Behold, I  will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie — I will make them come and bow down  at your feet, and make them know that  I have loved you. 10 ‘Because you have kept the word of  My perseverance,  I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 ‘ I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 ‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; 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 out of heaven from My God, and My new name. 13 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Map created in Accordance Bible Atlas 2.2

1.  To whom are verses 7-13 addressed? 

“the angel of the church in Philadelphia” (3:7)

2.  How is the speaker described? (3:7)

“He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens” (3:7).

• 2 Sam 7:16 “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” [Davidic Covenant]

• Ps 132:13-18 “For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation. ‘This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her needy with bread. Her priests also I will clothe with salvation, and her godly ones will sing aloud for joy. There I will cause the horn of David to spring forth; I have prepared a lamp for Mine anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon himself his crown shall shine.’” 
• Isa 9:7 “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness, from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”
• Isa 22:22 “Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder, when he opens no one will shut, when he shuts no one will open.”
• Jer. 31:27-28   “‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast. As I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to overthrow, to destroy and to bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,’ declares the LORD.”

• Jer. 33:14-18   “‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in safety; and this is the name by which she will be called: the LORD is our righteousness.’ For thus says the LORD, ‘David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to prepare sacrifices continually.’”

• Zech. 8:1-3   “Then the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.”’ ‘Thus says the LORD, “I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.”’”

3.  Of what does Jesus know concerning the church in Philadelphia? (3:8)

“I know your  deeds. Behold, I have put before you  an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name” (3:8).

4.  Does Jesus have anything against the church in Philadelphia? (3:7-13)
No.

5.  Does Jesus tell the church in Philadelphia to do anything? (3:7-13)

·      “I am coming quickly;  hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your  crown” (3:11).

·      “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (3:13).

6.  Does Jesus warn the church in Philadelphia? (3:7-13)
No.

7.  What does Jesus promise the church in Philadelphia? (3:8-13)

•        “. . . Behold, I have put before you  an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name (3:8).
•        “Behold, I  will cause those of  the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie — I will make them  come and bow down  at your feet, and make them know that  I have loved you” (3:9).
•        “Because you have  kept the word of  My  perseverance,  I also will keep you from the hour of   testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole   world, to  test  those who dwell on the earth” (3:10).
•        “He who overcomes, I will make him a  pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; 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 out of heaven from My God, and My  new name” (3:12).

8.  How does the message to the church of Philadelphia apply to the church today?

The remnant should rest in God’s promises and rejoice in assurance of Jesus’ love.

Father, Covenant-Maker, Covenant-Keeper, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, God of David. To the praise of Your great glory and enduring faithfulness, You will not forsake Your everlasting covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. All that You have promised, You will do. And all of Your promises find their ‘yes’ in Jesus. He is the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Messiah. Jesus is the Lion from the tribe of Judah, and He has overcome. Glory to the One Who is holy, Who is true, Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one will shut, and Who shuts and no one opens. Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord. Jesus is the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star. If the root is holy, the branches are too. Glory to You for so great a salvation as the redemption that is in Messiah Jesus. The house and kingdom of David will endure before You forever, His throne shall be established forever. May You strengthen the remnant to hold fast to what You have promised, freely given and freely received in Christ Jesus. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. May the remnant always rejoice in the Lord with full assurance of His enduring love and steadfast zeal for the apple of Your eye. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.