In this second part of “The Church of Dangerous Delusion”, we continue our study of the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22. Though this church is lukewarm and blind to its own spiritual condition, Jesus provides a path forward to restoration, which is outlined in his exhortation and compensation. In this last episode examining the churches in Revelation, we are called to reflect on our own spiritual temperature and the promise given to those who overcome.
Transcript
Revelation 3:14-22
14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:
15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. 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 dine with him, and he with Me.
21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit 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.” ’ ”
Exhortation
I am intrigued by Jesus’ words in verse 18. As Lord of the Church, does He not have the right to command, even make demands of those who call themselves by His name, who say they are members of His Church? Even the Gentile centurion in Matthew’s Gospel recognized Jesus’ supreme authority.
But Jesus doesn’t demand. He says, “I am counseling you, I am exhorting you, I am pleading with you, right now to buy from me…” Even though Jesus had harshly criticized them for their failures, we see His gracious nature on full display.
The Greek word for ‘buy’ also means to redeem, in the sense of giving up something of lesser value for something of greater value. I think Jesus is telling them to trade in their pride – self-sufficiency and self-confidence – which in Jesus’ eyes has no value, for something of infinite value – His faith, holiness, and power. What a sincere and generous invitation to those who had just been pronounced beggars and had been threatened with rejection! Then Jesus lists several specific items they should purchase.
First is gold that has been refined in the fire. In my introduction, I noted that Laodicea was a banking center. Gold comes out of the ground as ore. It is mixed with ordinary soil and other minerals and must be separated from them. Subsequently, it undergoes repeated heating cycles to remove impurities. Finally, when it is .999% pure, it is cast into bars or stamped into coins. Gold has been used for millennia as a store of value and retains its value, whereas fiat currencies eventually return to their intrinsic value of zero. Two coins in Laodicea bore the images of two prominent doctors from the medical school of the false god, Asklepios. Jesus offered them the chance to trade their “fools’ gold” for what was genuine.
Jesus’ counsel to the believers in Laodicea reminds me of God’s invitation to ancient Israel in Isaiah 55:1-3. “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk, without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live.” Does God offer this same invitation to us today?
Next, He said, “Buy white clothing to cover your shameful nakedness.” It’s like Jesus is saying, “If you want to buy something to wear, buy white clothing.” White clothing in the Bible is always a sign of righteousness and/or holiness. The priests in Israel wore white garments. Angelic beings always appear clothed in white. Isaiah wrote to wayward Judah, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
The purpose of clothing is to cover the shame of nakedness. The human body is not intrinsically shameful; it is glorious and beautiful, made in the image of God. But the sin of mankind twists what God has created for His glory and uses it selfishly. These people were well-clothed physically, but spiritually, they were naked. The Lord of the Church clearly saw that nakedness and counseled them to acquire white clothing available only from Him.
The writer of Hebrews reminds us, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” That’s Hebrews 4:12-13.
The third thing Jesus offers is eye salve—kollurion—an eye powder manufactured in Laodicea. Note that the city was well known for its medications for the eyes and ears. Jesus said, “Anoint your eyes with the eye salve I offer so that you may keep on seeing.” The members of the church in Laodicea were spiritually blind to their actual condition. We may be critical of them, but we must recognize that such behavior is often driven by wealth. We somehow think it is possible to serve two masters – God and money.
In John’s Gospel, Jesus quoted the prophet Isaiah, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ “Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, And return and be healed.”
Are your eyes open? Are you able to see clearly? Or is your vision clouded by greed and the deceitfulness of riches that Paul warns about in 1 Timothy 6:9-10? I find it a continual challenge to keep my vision clear and focused on Jesus!
Jesus continues by saying, “[I still love you,] and as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent.” Contrary to popular opinion, love and discipline are not mutually exclusive. Instead, Jesus states that they are evidence of His love. Hebrews 12:6, echoing Proverbs 3:12, affirms, “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” The purpose of discipline is clearly stated: repentance.
Jesus instructed them to be zealous in repentance. The word “zealous” derives from the Greek zēlos, meaning “ardor, heat, holy zeal.” There were many zealots in Israel in the time of this letter, advocating for the overthrow of the Roman government. Jesus even had one of them among His twelve disciples – Simon. Remember, Jesus said He wanted the Laodicean Believers to be hot – to be committed to Him. In other words, show the temperature of your spirituality by eagerly repenting of your sins! I believe the Lord has the same message for His church today.
Now notice Jesus’ final exhortation, delivered, I believe, with a voice filled with pathos. “Behold, I am standing at the door and knocking.” What? The Lord of the church at Laodicea is outside, seeking admission. How can that be?
There are numerous paintings depicting Jesus standing before a large wooden door, often cited as illustrations of this verse. The original painting by William Holman Hunt from the 1800s was jeeringly criticized by an art critic who noted the absence of a handle on the outside of the door. In response, Hunt’s friend, John Ruskin, said, “You do not understand the painting at all. The door Jesus is knocking on is the door to our hearts. There is no door latch on the outside, because the door to our heart can only be opened from within.”
Many have used this picture as an illustration of verse 20. They discuss conversion and salvation, but that is not the point of this text. In Laodicea, Jesus had been excluded from what was rightfully His – the Church. Instead of using His divine power to open the door and enter forcibly, He stands outside asking for admission. This fits with His “counsel” in verse eighteen. If the church responds positively to this exhortation, what’s the compensation, the reward?
Compensation
Jesus not only knocks but also speaks, saying, “If anyone hears (obeys) my voice.” That is a conditional statement. The first word is if. That means it’s possible that those inside can be so distracted or busy that they won’t hear His voice. How do we hear His voice? Through daily prayer, praise, worship, and staying in His Word! It is our responsibility to order our lives so that we live in His presence moment by moment. Yes, special times for Bible reading and prayer are essential, but they are meant to help us practice the presence of Jesus throughout the day.
If you’re on the inside of a solid door and someone knocks, what’s the common question? Who’s there? If you recognize the voice, you open immediately. In John 10, Jesus used this illustration of a familiar voice with His sheep. The church at Laodicea had shut Jesus out, yet they should still have recognized His voice.
The voice will often interpret and make the purpose of the knock intelligible. If the one who hears the knock and the voice will open the door (no irresistible grace here), the Savior will come in “recline at table” with him in mutual fellowship. This image of reclining at the table with Jesus appears repeatedly in the New Testament. As someone has said, “The crown of fellowship is eating together.”
We may consider these promises individually, and I believe that’s valid, because the church is composed of individual members. However, keep in mind that what Jesus is speaking to the church body at Laodicea. He is inviting the congregation to enter into this intimate fellowship with Him. That will have a lasting impact on both the individual members and the assembly.
“Israel’s King is willing to have real table fellowship with His followers. However, because He is holy, no compromise, contamination, or defilement is allowed. This is clearly stated in the Hebrew Scriptures. We read in Leviticus 18:24, ‘Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled.’ The Nicolaitans of Pergamum and Ephesus – those who claimed “we will eat’ practiced indiscriminate eating and most likely participated in unrestricted fellowship with Roman paganism.”[1]
In His final meal with the disciples before His crucifixion, Jesus said, “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” This is the reward for hearing and obeying the voice of the Lord of the Church.
When I think about this invitation, I think of the tragic choices of Judas at that final meal. Jesus singled him out for a special favor, dipping a piece of bread into the dish and giving it to him. That signified the great love Jesus had for Judas, yet Judas went through with his plan to betray him. He traded intimate fellowship for a money bag with holes in it. Oh, we’re quick to criticize him, but perhaps we ought to look in the mirror more carefully.
In addition, Jesus says, “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Isn’t that amazing? Jesus told the Twelve they would judge the tribes of Israel. Paul says, in 1 Corinthians 6:2-3, “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you will judge the world, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?” Romans 8:17 proclaims that we are “joint heirs with Christ.”
Jesus sits on His throne because He overcame; overcame what? He overcame all that the world, the flesh, and the Devil threw at Him. In John 16:33, He said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” As a result of His faithfulness, He is now seated at the right hand of God, interceding for you and me. If we overcome, He will welcome us there!
To overcome means to prevail, get the victory, endure, resist, be resolute, be steadfast, and stand. Overcoming involves the tension between our responsibility and God’s grace. The overcomer is not without sin, but depends upon Jesus for his life. He stays connected to and dependent upon Jesus through prayer, praise, worship, reading and studying Scripture, and by making good choices about how he spends his time.
There is no doubt in my mind that a commitment by those early Christ-followers to refrain from the defiling lifestyle in the Roman Empire was extremely tough. Business, religion, politics, and culture were all intertwined. Refusing to conform could cost you your livelihood, your status, your wealth, and even your life. I would say it is not very different today, especially in some parts of the world where religion defines culture.
The pressure around us to conform to the world’s system is intense, and many who claim the name of Christ are giving in to that pressure. The writers of the epistles repeatedly warn that this will be the case as we near the return of Jesus. We must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and rehearse His promises daily lest we be swept away in the enticements of the moment.
Jesus closes this letter in the same way He does all the others. “The one who has ears MUST hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
We may debate among ourselves what is hot, cold, or lukewarm. There may be some benefit in that; however, I believe the Holy Spirit will reveal to each of us our spiritual temperature if we ask Him. “Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God,” Romans 8:26-27.
I have found these letters to the seven churches of Revelation to be powerful and convicting, especially this one. If someone were to ask me whether I consider myself hot, cold, or lukewarm, I would struggle to answer. I see elements of all three as I look into the mirror of God’s Word. I want to accept Jesus’ counsel to “buy from Him gold refined in the fire so that I can be rich; and white garments, that I may be clothed, that the shame of my nakedness may not be revealed; and to anoint my eyes with eye salve, that I may see.” I invite you to share in that desire.
[1] Lizorkin-Eyzenberg, Eli and Shir, Pinchas, Hebrew Insights from Revelation, p. 138
