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We have been looking at the 7 churches found in the Book of Revelation. Has Jesus nature changed? It’s easy to see rebukes and threats of punishment in these letters. Take off those virtual reality goggles my friend. That’s not the real picture. These are gracious love letters.
Each letter begins with a picture of Jesus and ends with a promise. The picture is not all that mysterious when we look at each church’s history, geography, economic, or political situation. Also, each picture is not a NEW picture of Jesus, but something revealed in the Gospels. Check out the cross references!
And the promises are exactly what they need – freely offered.
We now come to the last church, Laodicea. That’s Rev 3:14-22. Oh my! It’s the only church where Jesus finds nothing good to say! Surely they must be in danger of hell fire? No.
As it says in verse 19, “those whom I love I reprove” – Because He loves them, He is pointing out things that need to change – for their own benefit, and tells them what to do.
This is the lukewarm church. Proud, for they say, “I am rich and have need of nothing.” Jesus tells them the truth. He tells them to be zealous and repent. And there is the famous passage, “Behold I stand at the door and knock.…”
Under Roman rule Laodicea became a thriving banking and financial center. Emperors could cash their checks there. It even had a medical school, perhaps producing that famous eye salve.
The garment industry was awesome. The wool of their sheep was glossy black, highly valued. So, we have a city that is very rich – financially, in wool, and eye salve. We’ll see the significance later.
The picture Jesus gives them of Himself is that of the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the beginning of the creation of God. Jesus identifies Himself as the Founder of all, and the underwriter of all the promises found in the New Covenant. 2 Cor 1:20. In contrast the Laodiceans were faithless and false. Jesus is declaring that HE is the benchmark against which all other people will be measured. These Laodiceans, with an inflated opinion of themselves are going to come up short.
He knows their and our true condition better than we know ourselves. Today, may Jesus speak to you and me, right where we are, like in these letters. It will help us — COME ALIVE!
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