Revelation of Jesus - Church of Laodicea

The book of Revelation holds the most important message for Christians and Christian Churches. It is the only book in the bible that holds a blessing to those who read it. So, please - read it! Rev1:3 "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." I am focusing on Revelation chapters two and three, on the character of the churches.

The message to the churches follows a specific form:

1. Jesus presents himself in a certain way
2. Jesus states what makes the church unique
3. Jesus criticizes the church for something its doing wrong
4. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches"
5. Jesus promises a unique gift to some of the churches

It is a ritual that repeats seven times with minor variation that Jesus is preforming as High-priest. We need to understand every part in order to understand the meaning of the whole message.

Laodicea
Rev3:14-22

Laodicea was located about 50 miles southeast of Philadelphia and about 100 miles east of Ephesus. Its name means "people rule", founded by Antiochus II Theos (Great-Grandfather of Antiochus IV Epiphanus who defiled the second temple) and named after his wife. It was positioned between two small rivers - Asopus and Carpus and was located on a major trade route, whereby its inhabitants became very rich during the Roman rule. When the city was destroyed by earthquake in 60AD the inhabitants refused Imperial aid and rebuilt the city from scratch using their own funds.

To Laodicea Jesus presents as "the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God". Amen is Hebrew for "it is so" its a statement of affirmation like "verily, verily". You often hear Amen at the end of a prayer, by saying Amen you're saying "Its true" or "It's real" or "It shall be so". Jesus is the Amen - he is the Truth. He confirms this further with "the faithful and true witness", a title given to God by the Jews in Jeremiah 42:5. The last part "the beginning of the creation of God" alludes to Genesis but perhaps even more to John 1 where we see the new creation that began with Jesus. Jesus is the Word, the Light and the Life that became flesh so that we may become sons of God. He is also the breath that God gave to Adam.

The church of Laodicea is neither hot nor cold - it is trying to keep itself balanced between its own desires and God's desires, between Truth and Lies - she has beautiful makeup to cover her ugly face. This church is the whore of Babylon Isaiah 47, Rev 18:7 "How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow."

"and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" the word translated wretched is talaiporos which is a compound of talanton - balance or weight and peira - test, attempt or trial. This brings us back to Daniel 5:27 where he interprets the writing on the wall "Tekel; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting." Tekel is "shekel"- a measure of weight but also the word for money.

Jesus councils this church to buy from him gold purified by fire to be rich, white clothes to cover her shame - her nakedness, salve to cure her blindness. He councils her to obey his word just like he did in Jeremiah. He loves us but he needs to guide us, teach us - and he wants us to be with zeal and to repent - to change our minds and turn from evil. If we choose to do both good and evil Jesus will spit us out of his mouth like in Matthew 7:21-23.

He wants us to be zealous because he is jealous - we need to have only God in our hearts and no other idol. Idolatry is what makes us pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I define the word Idol as "anything you obey instead of God". Go back to Genesis and you have the serpent and the woman as the first two Idols. Adam had to do just one simple thing - not eat from that tree. What did he do? He choose his wife over his God, just as she choose the serpent over her husband and her God.

Churches in our modern day and age have become obsessed with money to the point that wealth has become an Idol - the almighty $ - a serpent on a stick that cures every ailment. We can't serve two masters, so choose wisely. Those who overcome get to sit with Jesus in his throne, in the throne of God. Basically they get power and authority over all creation.