Revelation: Laodicea

The Apostate/Lukewarm Church

(Rev. 3:14-22)

*Commendation: none given.

*Condemnation: You are lukewarm, wretched, poor, blind, and naked.

*Counsel: Buy from Me refined gold and white garments so you may be rich and cover your shame, anoint your eyes, be zealous and repent.

~The mystery of the seven churches (Rev. 2-3) is revealed in the fact that they outline the prophetic history of the Church from Pentecost to the Lord's appearing in the clouds, an era some refer to as the "age of grace." From the humble, sincere, and zealous beginning to the prideful, blind, and heretical end... the seven letters to the seven churches offer spiritual lessons (founded on their original historical contexts) concerning proper conduct and direction for the Church that is as vital today as when first written.

Prophetic class and hypothesized associated historical era of Laodicea: 

Apostate/Lukewarm church {AD ca. 1900 - ?}

 

...Laodicea was named after Laodice, the wife of (though he later divorced her) Antiochus II who founded the city circa BC 260. The city was liberated by the Romans in BC 129, eventually blossoming into a very influential metropolis of material prosperity, offering upper scale commerce and recreation, hot springs, a popular medicinal eye salve, and a rich wool industry. The opulence of success naturally birthed metropolitan pride, but a spiritual pride also developed within the early Laodicean church, inviting Christ's distinct condemnation concerning their adherence to worldly wealth and religion rather than His righteousness.

...Jesus' comment in Rev. 3:15-16 that the Laodicean church was "neither cold nor hot" but "lukewarm" accentuates the circumstance of an individual being either for or against the Lord as opposed to having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof (2 Tim. 3:5). It is easier to discern, accept, and/or remedy a situation where one is definitively a believer or definitively not, whereas the situation in which one who practices an outwardly convincing religion and ultimately reveals such piety to be an illusion can be an unsavory experience. Indeed, Jesus offers the graphically terse analogy of vomiting out of His mouth those who are lukewarm concerning His lordship. 

...This then begs the question of oneself: Am I zealous for Christ, or lukewarm in my devotion and convictions concerning Him? And thus it follows, in accordance with Scripture, that if you are not zealous for Him then you are in a dangerous place. A hard truth for most to digest or accept. Yet the test rests with one's reaction in that if one readily agrees that deep and sincere zealousness is what qualifies and quantifies one's discipleship, then one understands the cost and likely is in fact a true disciple. However, if one's reaction is to take offense at such a bold template of discipleship, then that individual must seriously self-evaluate their standing with Jesus Christ- regardless of where they may think they stand.

...Recalling Jesus' warning to take away a church's lampstand when His Authority is no longer recognized as sufficient (Rev. 2:5), the Laodicean church appears very near to experiencing this reality. Upon review of the preceding church letters, and considering Church history, we may conclude that both the negative and positive aspects of Thyatira and Sardis remain evident within the present-day Church, along with the highly commended aspects of Philadelphia. We may also conclude that the Laodicean apostasy has begun its infiltration and rise, evidenced by an escalating ecclesiastical liberalism (i.e. heresy), particularly in the Western Church.

...As the Sardis Church era represented a dead church transitioning toward enlightenment, so the Laodicean Church era represents a once enlightened church transitioning back toward death. This results in Jesus proclaiming His love for all, including those He rebukes and chastens, for He offers unbounded (but not unlimited) grace for those who would deny Him (3:19). The gold, white garments, and eye salve that Christ offers are representative of spiritual wealth, righteous purity, and the ability to see and discern Truth (3:18). The offer, however, is refused out of Laodicea's perception of self-sufficiency. James 5:2-3 speaks to such pride: "Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days." The endgame of this church is thus evident in the coarse fact that no commendation is offered by Jesus, underscoring the need for watchfulness and sound doctrine on behalf of the true Church as the path toward doctrinal defection (i.e. apostasy) becomes more heavily trod.

...Though truly faithful Christians are indeed scattered throughout modern Christendom, the Laodicean Church era solidifies and ushers in a haughty, compromised, and spiritually blind church that is nothing more than an empty religious shell that will act as a conduit for the rise of the "great whore of Babylon" (one world religious system; Rev. 17) until the Antichrist no longer has use of her "charms," only to demand worship of himself which provokes the final push toward Armageddon and Christ's Second Advent (Rev. 17-19). 

...In that the Laodicean church receives only condemnation it is logical to ask whether or not this is due to an absence of all true believers, for Jesus does not reference (as He did for the previous churches) even a small percent within this church that still "hold fast" to Truth. Yet the Laodicean "lampstand" is not mentioned as being taken away, unless perhaps, the "catching away" of the true Church from out of the world is indeed the act that effectively removes the "lampstand," i.e. Light of Christ's Authority. If this is the case, it further supports Jesus' Rev. 3:20 invitation to "anyone" (on earth after the rapture) rather than only "you, of the Laodicean church." Moreover, those who accept His invitation after the rapture, who overcome, and who are "granted to sit with Him on His throne" are possibly the Tribulation saints/martyrs of Rev. 6:9-11. If this is not the case, there is no violation of interpretation and Christ's invitation and promise remain unchanged and open to all. But note that Jesus is standing outside of the door, indicating that He is not inside (the Church).

...The image of Jesus "standing and knocking at the door" is simultaneously an offer (to let Him into one's heart) and a warning (that His return draws nigh, meaning both rapture and Advent). The subsequent image of Christ dining with the one who opens their heart to Him conveys fellowship and foreshadows the Marriage Supper of the Lamb that takes place in Heaven after the rapture and prior to the Second Advent.

...In sum, the Laodicean church is a prophetic shadow revealing the destiny of the institutionalized Papal/Catholic and Reformed/Protestant churches as they trend toward apostasy and ultimate Judgment as a result of neglecting their lamps and oil supply (Matt. 25:1-13).

~The messages to each of the seven churches close with wise counsel: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." This is hard proof that the messages are not limited to their particular time/place in history, but in fact are prophetic and systematically revelatory. Upon examination of these letters as to their local historical circumstance as well as their relation to the entire circumstance of Church history, we may conclude that the "messages" are in fact "one message" that is eternal; and the Christ Who walked amidst their lampstands is the Christ Who is alive today walking amidst ours.

{excerpted from my commentary, The Revelation of Jesus Christ}