Christ’s Message to the Laodicean Church
This is the last of the seven churches in Asia addressed by Christ, the head and shepherd of the church. These churches actually existed at that time and they had typical and prophetic significance. The churches typify different types of churches today and they prophetically represent churches at all times, in all lands and of all church ages. The Laodicea church had no point of praise or commendation. It was, no doubt the last and the worst of all the churches.
Religion becomes a substitute for reality and Luke warmness characterized the whole church. There was not even the trace of a faithful few as in Sradis. Yet, the Lord is pictured as standing at the door of every heart, knocking and asking for entrance. What a wonderful love from the Lord who died for all, willing to save, ready to cleanse.
Christ the author, the origin of the book of Revelation is also the great counselor to all the churches. In the letter to the seven churches, He manifested the whole characteristics in its entirety. Our living eternal Christ, the great and living Savior, the first and the last, who is before the changing circumstances of life, with the final authority writes again to the seventh church in Asia.
‘And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God’ (Revelation 3:14).
‘Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me’ (John 14:6).
Christ’s Call to True Faithfulness
Each letter began with great attributes, characteristics and titles of Jesus Christ. “Amen” means verily, certainly or so be it, a guarantee or affirmation of the truth of a statement. He is the faithful and true witness and His words are final without question. He is the beginning and the end, the guarantor of every promise of God. Christ as the faithful witness seals every promise that God made in the scriptures. He is the beginning of the creation of God, which means, the origin, the author, the first cause of creation. He is the way, the truth and the life, the last person before God the father.
‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men’ (John 1:1-4).
In the beginning, the word appeared and the word was with God, and the word was God. Christ is the word, is always with God, and cannot be separated from the word because He was the word and the word was God. No one can have God without the word and to reject Christ is to reject God, who is the word.
‘And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God’ (Ephesians 3:9).
‘For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence’ (Colossians 1:16-18).
God appeared through Christ when He created the world through Him and came to the world through Him to have fellowship with us. It was by Him that all things were created, both things in heaven, things on earth, visible and invisible. Every throne, dominion, principalities and powers, all came through Him and are under Him and for Him. Therefore, He is before all things and by Him, all things consist and come to be. He is the leader, in charge and the head of every head and nothing that had begun was begun without Him, His approval or knowledge. Christ was the first-born, the beginning and the prominence of all things. No one can ignore Him and succeed and no success is a success without Him.
‘But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us’ (2 Corinthians 1:18-20).
Truth starts with Christ and any church or individual that has no Christ, has no truth and any preaching that does not embrace the truth of Christ is not complete. Without Him, there will be no fulfillment of any promise because He is the Amen or so be it, a seal to every Amen.
‘And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God’ (Revelation 3:14).
‘For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh’ (Colossians 2:1).
The Spiritual and Historical Context of Laodicea
Laodicea was a rich city and the chief city in Phrygia, founded about 250 B.C. by Antiochus the second and named after his wife. It was 45 miles S.E. of Philadelphia and about 40 miles from Ephesus. It was not far from Colossi and Hierapolis. It had a very large Jewish population and also had a medical center. The Apostle Paul knew this church of Laodicea and had a great concern and love for the church. Epaphras, a servant of Christ had a great zeal for the brethren, which were in Laodicea, desiring and praying that they would be perfect and complete in all the will of God.
‘For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ’ (Colossians 2:1-2).
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ had previously written to them. The condition of the church moved him to pray for them, desiring that they work together in unity, divine love and to be exposed to the mystery of Christ. Epaphras fervently prayed for them and called them by name in prayer.
‘Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis. Salute the brethren, which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house… And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea’ (Colossians 4:12-13, 16).
The church in Laodicea was so privileged to receive and read many copies of letters from other great men of God before the present one that we are reading now. But by the time Christ address them in Revelation chapter three through the Apostle John, about 35 years later, the church had completely become lukewarm and backslidden.