A Journey through Revelation, Part 11: A View of Heaven

Introduction

In this article, we’re privileged to see “A View of Heaven.”

 

The apostle John is going to describe for us what he saw when the Lord Jesus Christ told him to “come up here,” to heaven to receive the revelation.

 

Now, bear in mind, that there will be times when John might be lacking the words to describe the awesome things that he sees. So, he uses whatever words he can to tell us what he is looking at and how things appear to him.

 

Chapter 4 focuses on God the Father, who delivers the sealed scroll of chapter 5.

 

In chapter 5, the focus is on the Son, the Redeemer, the only one found worthy to take the scroll and open the seals.

 

Chapter 4 describes John's transition into a state of consciousness that enabled him to view the heavenly scene.

 

 

The Scene In Heaven

v.1, “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.’”

·     John sees the vision of the heavenly throne after he heard the messages to the seven churches:

o   The time marker is indicated by the expression “after these things,” that is, after receiving the messages to the churches.

 

·     The scene now changes from a picture of a glorified Christ, walking among the churches on earth, to that of the Father in the courts of heaven.

 

·     v.1a, Johns says, “I looked”:

o   John recognized an object that was before him in this prophetic vision.

 

·     He sees, “a door standing open in heaven”:

o   This is like a door set in the sky, permitting entrance to the heavenly realm. 

o   This is the dwelling place of God. 

o   This is where Christ ascended to, after His resurrection.

o   John spends most of his time in heaven throughout the remainder of the Revelation.

 

·     v.1b, “The first voice which I had heard was like the sound of a trumpet”:

o   He first heard this voice back in Revelation 1:10, remember?

Ø  It was Christ speaking to him again.

Ø  In 1:17, He calls Himself the “first and the last.”

Ø  In 1:18, He calls Himself the “living one”.

Ø  In 1:18, He describes Himself as the One who “was dead and is now alive.”

Ø  In 1:18, He says that He holds the “keys of death and hades” symbolizing the fact that Christ has ALL authority.

 

o   The voice was “like the sound of a trumpet” just like the voice John heard earlier in chapter 1:10:

Ø  You all know what a trumpet sounds like.

Ø  It gets your attention!

Ø  It’s a commanding sound.

 

o   The loudness also carries with it the idea of authority.

o   The voice that summoned John upward was the authoritative voice of Christ Himself.

 

·     Jesus says to John, “come up here.” Where is up here?

o   Heaven!

o   Can you imagine?

o   It’s in heaven that John will see the things that are going to occur at a future date.

o   There’s no mystery here. The things that John is about to see, the cataclysmic events that will be revealed to John, have never happened in the history of the world:

Ø  This is new revelation from Christ.

 

o   This summons, somewhat similar to the one given to Moses at mount Sinai, has at times been understood as more than a summons to just John the apostle.

o   Because the Rapture of the Church comes at a time, just prior to the events about to be revealed, some godly men and women, have taken this as a symbol of a summons to the entire Church into heaven at the future moment when Christ returns for His bride:

Ø  They believe John’s call is symbolic of the future Rapture (the catching away) of the Church, the true believers still on the earth when Jesus comes in the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17).

 

o   However, there is no reason for connecting John's summons with the Rapture of the Church. In fact, the two events are quite different, in that, John's body remained on the island of Patmos throughout his experience, whereas at the Rapture of the Church, the bodies of the saints will be caught up to heaven.

 

o   Another basic difference is that John's call is a command for the purpose of receiving new revelation. But the Church’s call is one that accomplishes the culmination of salvation for all the redeemed of the body of Christ.

 

o   So, this call upward is best understood as an invitation for John only, in order to get a new vantage point for the sake of the revelation he was about to receive.

 

·     Jesus says, “I will show the things that must take place after these things”:

o   The time has come to reveal what God has ordained for the future.

o   The events predicted are not just likely to occur. They are fixed and certain because they are the outworking of God's will.

 

·     The words “I will show you what must take place after this” are similar to those in 1:19, “what will take place later”:

o   But there’s a key difference.

o   Whereas, 1:19 indicates that the events will take place, here, the Greek word used means that the events must take place -- there’s no question about it.

o   This not only points to the future, but also to the Sovereign purposes of God:

Ø  These things must happen because God has so ordained them to happen.  

Ø  There can be no escaping them!

 

o   The similarity of the two verses also confirms the sequence of events given in 1:19, when Jesus said, “Write therefore the things which you have seen [past], and the things which are [present], and the things which shall take place [future] after these things.”

o   John is about to see the prophecies that describe what must happen after the Church age comes to an end.

 

v.2, “Immediately I was in the spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne“:

·     “Immediately I was in the spirit”:

o   John was instantly translated into some other degree of consciousness in order to be able to receive the prophetic view of the heavenly realm.

o   "in the spirit" describes the trance-like state into which John's spirit entered.

o   It’s interesting to note that all of John’s senses were operative:

Ø  His ears heard.

Ø  His eyes saw.

Ø  His emotions were as real as though his body was literally in heaven instead of remaining on Patmos.

 

·     "A throne standing in heaven":

o   He sees the central point of the first part of his glimpse into heaven:

Ø  Indescribable beauty with God Himself as the central figure.

 

o   The throne of God is very prominent throughout John's prophecy, being mentioned in almost every chapter.

o   The major focus of chapter 4 is upon the throne and its symbolism of God's Sovereignty, which is exercised in judgment. 

o   From here, from His throne, comes God's wrath described later in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. 

o   Though evil seems to be winning at times on earth, God will ultimately prevail.

 

·     "and one sitting on the throne":

o   This person is undoubtedly God the Father, because He is distinguished from the “Lamb” in other places throughout the Revelation.

 

o   Many have wondered why John didn’t name Him more directly:

Ø  It might be a reluctance to mention the Divine name for the same reason it is avoided in the Hebrew writings: 

v The name YHWH (“Yahweh”) became “Jehovah” out of reverence, fear and awe of God.

Ø  Perhaps it was the impossibility of expressing, in words, the awesomeness of this Person on the throne.

Ø  The best explanation may be that, portraying the glory of God was John’s objective, not a detailed description of the Father's appearance.

 

o   The sitting posture shows us that God is active and reigning, not resting.

 

v.3, “And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance”:

·     Details in Scripture are always significant. There must be a reason for the use of these symbols instead of others.

 

·     But, because we’re somewhat unfamiliar with ancient terminology, it makes the exact identification of the stones a little uncertain. 

 

·     The  “jasper” that John is speaking of was quite different from the modern jasper, which is opaque: 

o   Not only that, but modern jasper is not very costly as the text seems to imply.

o   The ancient jasper may have been more like a translucent crystal, maybe more like a diamond.

 

·     The sardius was a fiery, deep red stone, probably a carnelian, or maybe a ruby.

 

·     Based upon the identification of these stones, some have assigned a symbolic reference to them:

o   Some symbolism's have included:

Ø  Jasper -- judgment by water and sardius, judgment by fire.

Ø  Jasper -- the goodness of God in nature and sardius, His severity in judgment.

Ø  Jasper -- Christ’s Deity and sardius, His humanity

Ø  Jasper -- the holiness of God along with sardius, the justice of God.

 

o   The picture here is that of His anger:

Ø  Because of His holy nature, reacting in response to the sinfulness of mankind, which then results in the judgment He is about to send upon the entire earth.

 

·     "And there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance."  What about this rainbow?

o   After examining the Greek text and reading several commentaries it to appears that this rainbow is more in the shape of a halo.

o   The rainbow was reminiscent of the covenant that God made with Noah.

o   It's a reminder that God's mercy is as great as His majesty, that is to say, that there will be no accomplishment of God's Sovereignty at the expense of His mercy:

Ø  The sovereignty of God and the mercy of God must co-exist. One cannot be there without the other.

 

o   This rainbow is very different from other rainbows on earth, in that it has only one color – green – it was "like an emerald in appearance."

o   The word “emerald,” here, is the same word that we are familiar with today.

o   There's a slight problem, however, as a rainbow has seven different colors:  red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

o   Perhaps the best answer is that this rainbow had a number of shades of green, or at least it seemed so to John.

o   The symbolism of the emerald seems to lie in its green color, which many believe, represents the grace and mercy of God.

 

v.4, “And around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.”

·     "And around the throne were 24 thrones":

o   The text does not specify whether these additional thrones were smaller, or placed lower, or both, compared to the one throne:

Ø  But they were certainly lesser in authority than the throne around which they were arranged.

 

o   There was one person for each of the thrones.

o   In the Greek, these people are called presbyterou, which is the Greek word from which we get our English word “elders.”

o   These “elders” are the first group of created beings to come into John's view in this heavenly setting.

o   And each one of these “elders” had on a “white garment” and on their head was a “golden crown.”

 

·     Lots of attempts have been made to identify these elders. They fall into two categories:

o   They are either human or they are some sort of angelic beings.

o   Godly men differ in their opinions.

o   There are some very long explanations that we don’t have time to go into in this article. So, we’ll look at this topic briefly.

 

·     John did not identify these 24 elders, specifically, whether they were humans or angels.

 

·     Apparently, the worship they were providing was more significant than who they were. 

 

·     Scholars have proposed several possibilities for the identity of the 24 elders:

o   First explanation:  because there were 12 tribes of Israel in the Old Testament and 12 apostles in the New Testament, the 24 elders (12 plus 12) in this vision represent all the redeemed of God, for all time (both before and after Christ's death and resurrection):

Ø  This symbolizes all those -- both Jews and Gentiles -- who are now part of God's family. 

Ø  The 24 elders show all the redeemed of the Lord are worshiping Him.

 

o   Second explanation:  the 24 elders are the heavenly counterpart of the 24 priestly ranks who served at the temple in 1 Chronicles 23:6; 24:7-18.

o   Third, and the most likely explanation, is that the “elders,” here, are an angelic group of beings providing worship.

o   But the reference to number 24 remains uncertain, because there is no sure description. 

o   Their continuous praise and worship supports this angelic explanation. And the fact that they serve with, but are distinguished from, the four living creatures (who we’ll meet, later, in 4:11; 5:9-10; 11:17-18; 19:4), adds to this theory.

o   These 24 elders are probably angelic beings who live in heaven and worship God directly at His throne.

o   Though they are crowned with gold crowns (there’s no prohibition in Scripture that stops angels from wearing crowns) and dressed in white (when angels appear, their garments are described as brilliant and white), they do not represent the Church because:

Ø  The Church, as the body of Christ, is still on the earth.

Ø  Our crowns haven’t been given to us yet.

 

o   In view of their actions, such as worshiping and offering bowls of incense (which we’ll see in 5:9), they seem to be a special order of angels.

o   But this is still part of God’s Sovereign knowledge which we will see for ourselves one day.

 

May the Lord bless you as you continue to study His Word and grow in your knowledge of who He is.

 

 

By His Grace,

Gary T. Dromi, Ph.D, D.Min.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Journey through Revelation, Part 10: The Lukewarm Church

In this article, we’ll be looking at the 7th church, the church at Laodicea – “The Lukewarm Church”

 

Background is important in understanding what Jesus says to them. Laodicea was a city in the fertile Lycus valley. It was about 40 miles east of Ephesus and about 10 miles west of Colossae. 

 

Laodicea was founded by Antiochus II, and named it for his wife, Laodice. The city was nearly unconquerable because of the surrounding mountains. 

 

There was one vulnerable area, however. It was almost completely dependent on others for its water. The aqueducts that brought water into the city were underground, but an attacking enemy could easily discover that and conquer them by denying the city the water they needed to live.

 

After Rome took control of the area and brought peace to the land, it became an important manufacturing center. Laodicea was known for its black wool industry. It manufactured garments from the raven black wool produced by the sheep of the surrounding area.

 

There was a famous school of medicine that was also located in Laodicea. A well-known medicine, developed by the physicians of this school, was applied to the eyes to cure eye diseases. 

 

Commerce, manufacturing, and medicine all combined to make Laodicea a very wealthy city.

 

In 62 B.C., Flaccus had seized the annual contribution of the Jews of Laodicea for Jerusalem, amounting to 20 pounds of gold. 

 

Even more impressive was when the city was destroyed by an earthquake in 62 B.C. (along with Colossae and Hierpolis), Laodicea refused financial aid from Rome for rebuilding the city.

 

Jesus’ words to Laodicea contain references to the economic prosperity and social prominence of the city. 

 

With that brief introduction, let’s take a look at Revelation 3:14-22.

 

v.14, “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write:  the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this”:

·     Christ describes Himself in three ways:

o   First as, “the Amen”:

Ø   Only here is “Amen” used as a personal name for Christ.

Ø   It describes Him as one in whom truth is personified.

Ø   The idea is “credibility”:  there’s absolute certainty that everything Jesus says will happen.

 

·     Next, He describes Himself as "the faithful and true Witness":

o   Christ is the faithful and true Witness, therefore:

Ø  His counsel and rebukes are to be taken seriously and His promises are to be believed.

Ø  Christ's trustworthiness stands in direct contrast to the unfaithfulness of the Laodicean church.

Ø  As “the faithful true Witness, He can be trusted never to misrepresent His message.

Ø  His truthfulness includes not only His character, but also His message.

Ø  Christ is the very essence of truth, trustworthiness and faithfulness.  Therefore, His testimony never fails.

 

·     His third title is "the Beginning of the creation of God":

o   Sometimes those who profess to be Christians, or those who are not believers at all, try to downgrade, or rationalize, the person of Christ.

o   They say, “He’s not so exceptional. He’s not much different than me.”

o   Question:  How could a created being command the degree of faithfulness found in the message to Laodicea?  And how could He make such far-reaching promises to those who repent and overcome, if He were merely like any other man?

o   Being the Alpha and the Omega means that He is the source of creation, not the result of it.

o   He has supreme authority and power to carry out His word, including the warnings and promises found in the messages to the seven churches.

 

v.15, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot.”

·     Jesus knows this church all to well:

o   The Greek word translated “know,” is a word that means intimate knowledge that is complete.

o   When talking about Divine knowledge, this word means a comprehension that’s absolute, because that knowledge is based on His omniscience.

 

·     Christ knows their works just as He did with the six previous churches:

o   In each of the churches, their works are more than just what they’ve done:

Ø  Their works are a reflection of their life and conduct in general.

 

o   Our works are evidence of the inward, spiritual condition that the Lord sees and knows. 

o   It’s by means of these works that people prove what they actually are.

 

·     Because there is no praise for this church, the message immediately gets into the most serious rebuke of any of the churches:

o   In looking at them spiritually, He says, "you are neither cold nor hot."

 

·     There are various explanations for Jesus’ use of the terms “hot” and “cold”:

o   "hot" describes a person characterized by a fervent spiritual life:

Ø  Someone who has been heated to the boiling point by some outside source and has maintained that fire.

 

·     There are some who believe that there's really no meaning to “hot” or “cold,” either positive or negative:

o   The reason they say that is to avoid the idea that Christ would wish anyone to be spiritually poor.

 

·     Another opinion is that the water supply at Laodicea serves as background for these words:

o   The hot waters of Hierpolis had medicinal value (hot springs), and the cool, pure water from Colossae provided refreshment. 

o   In contrast, the waters of Laodicea were halfway between in temperature and served no useful purpose:

Ø  This opinion argues that Jesus rebukes the church for its lack of works, not its spiritual temperature.

 

·     But there are serious problems with this explanation:

o   It’s a little complicated, but stay with me.

 

·     The cold-hot phrase can’t be intended as another way of saying “lukewarm,” because in the very next breath Jesus expresses His desire that the readers be one or the other, either cold or hot:

o   Poor service is a strange way for Christ to evaluate this church because the messages to the other churches defined works in terms of their inner qualities. 

o   So, would Christ condemn Laodicea on the basis of their external accomplishments? Probably not. God looks at the heart, remember?

o   Another suggestion is that spiritual “coldness,” even to the point of open hostility, is preferred over lukewarmness because that, at least, suggests that religion is something to be thought about. In other words, an honest denial of Christ is more promising than a half-hearted acknowledgement. There’s more hope for the openly antagonistic than for the lazily indifferent. 

o   For Christ to prefer outright rejection over a half-hearted response is pretty startling.  But to profess Christianity while remaining untouched by its truths is a disaster.

o   “Coldness” is more favorable to a person's coming to Christ than “lukewarmness.”  We see that in the conversion of Saul of Tarsus.

o   So shameful did Christ find “lukewarmness” that He preferred to deal with a “cold,” stubborn opponent of the gospel, recognizing the greater possibility of finding fertile soil with them, than with the “lukewarm,” professing Christians.

o   Basically, anything is better than lukewarmness!

 

·     He continues by saying "I wish that you were a cold or hot":

o   Here, we see His frustration. He longs that the readers be anything but lukewarm.

o   Jesus would prefer either “cold” or “hot” to what He finds to be their actual state of lukewarm.

                          

v.16, “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.”

·     Jesus is truly disgusted at the lukewarm attitude of the Laodicean church.

 

·     The problem was not spiritual immaturity:

o   It’s doubtful that Jesus would express such unhappiness with a young Christian or a babe in Christ.

 

·     “lukewarm” is a description of church people who have professed Christ, but do not have in their hearts the reality of what they pretend to be on the outside, by their actions.

 

·     This type of hypocrisy would be the only possible reason that Christ would prefer “coldness” to “lukewarmness.”

 

·     A person who professes to be a Christian, but hasn’t believed in Christ, thinks that his profession is enough to get him by. 

 

·     Nothing can be done with an “in name only” Christian, a “cultural Christian,” who cannot recognize that he/she needs to repent, to change his/her mind, and that Jesus is really outside his/her life.

 

·     Christ’s response is, "I'm about to spit you out of my mouth":

o   This warning to Laodicea continues by using the water supply to make His point.

o   If they continue trying to pass off this spiritual charade upon Him, He has no choice but to respond by spiting them out of His mouth, as any person who has foul tasting water in their mouth.

 

·     Notice He says.  "I am about to"— He hasn’t done it yet:

o   There’s still an opportunity for the Laodiceans to repent, and avoid the coming wrath of God.

o   The patience of God is still at work and the judgment of God is still being withheld.

o   Jesus is trying to awaken the readers to the future danger.

 

·     His disgust with halfhearted Christianity is seen in His words "I will spit you out of my mouth."

 

·     This is a very condescending expression; one He does not use anywhere else.

 

v.17, “Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,”

·     Their opinion of themselves is quite different from their true condition.

 

·     They were so blinded by their wealth, that they didn't recognize that they were "wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked."

 

·     Here was a church rich in pride, yet ignorant of their spiritual poverty.

 

·     This word "wretched" is the same word that Paul used when he cried out "Oh wretched man that I am, who will save me from the body of this death?"

 

·     The word "miserable" describes a person who would be the most miserable among men.

 

·     The word "poor" describes the action of one who crouches and cowers as a beggar. 

 

·     He also describes them as "blind." This word means unable to see; blinded by self; they can’t even see how messed up they are.

 

·     The irony is that this letter is written to a city famous for producing eye medications:

o   He’s speaking of their inability to see spiritual values and truths.

 

·     The last word Jesus uses to describe them is the word "naked" which was especially shameful in the city famous for its wool garments.

 

·     Salvation is sometimes described as a garment in the New Testament:

o   The people of this church were naked before Christ because of their spiritual coldness.

 

·     This verse ends Christ’s description of their actual condition.

 

v.18, “I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.”

·     Here, Jesus gives them counsel to buy from Him, “gold refined by fire that they may become rich.”

 

·     Let’s look at what Jesus is saying:

o   Here's a church that believes it needs nothing, yet He needs to counsel them on self-preservation. 

o   The advice to buy something that cannot be purchased with money continues to show the sharp tone of the Jesus’ words.

 

·     He’s saying, "Your feelings of self-sufficiency are groundless. You are completely dependent upon me."

 

·     The Lord asks those who live in a city noted for its riches to buy what they cannot afford, because it’s not for sale, it’s free!

 

·     Let’s look at the three items:  “gold refined by fire”:

o   This is pure gold. All of the impurities have been removed through the refining process. 

 

·     The best way to interpret this gold is as a picture of high quality faith:

o   A real faith; one capable of withstanding severe trials.

 

·     Along with this purified faith that the Lord offers is a new heart:

o   We’ll see the new heart in two symbols yet to come.

 

·     Each purchase has its own purpose:

o   The purpose of fine gold is that they may become rich in spiritual things.

 

·     Secondly, Jesus advises them to purchase “white garments”:

o   The probable meaning of putting on these “white garments” is the awareness of moving toward righteous deeds.

o   This goes together with receiving a new heart.

o   It takes a new heart to even desire to be right with God.

 

·     The purpose of these white garments is to avoid the shame of nakedness:

o   The putting on of the white garments that Christ supplies comes at the moment of personal faith in Him.

o   The avoidance of shame will come at the time of His second coming. 

o   This is the shame of one who has professed Christ, but has not truly believed in Him. 

 

·     The third thing Jesus advises them to buy is an “eye salve to anoint their eyes so that they may see”:

o   The purpose of the final purchase was to cure their spiritual blindness.

 

·     Spiritually speaking, the church was seriously lacking in three areas:

o   Genuine faith (i.e., gold),

o   A disposition toward righteousness (i.e., white garments),

o   And a discernment of spiritual matters (i.e., eye salve).

 

v.19, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent.”

·     What's important to note is that the comments made by Jesus in verses 15-18 do not mean that He's hostile toward them:

o   Actually, there’s evidence of affection and care.

o   “lukewarmness” is not necessarily terminal. 

o   All whom Christ loves receive rebuke and discipline, no matter where they live.

 

·     "those whom I love" translates the Greek word phileo, and indicates a human and emotional love, a “brotherly” love.

 

·     In spite of the church's poor attitude toward Christ, He still has tender and affectionate feelings toward them. 

 

·     This phrase comes as a touching and unexpected showing of His love towards those who deserve it least among the seven churches.

 

·     At this point in His message, Christ extends special treatment to a church in spite of its “lukewarm” condition.

 

·     It is His unconditional love that motivates Him to reprove and discipline them:

o   We might call this "tough love."

o   Hopefully, the goal can be achieved by a verbal rebuke but if this fails, then judgment will follow.

 

·     What must the members of the church do? 

o   First, they must be “zealous,” that is, they must put on a new habit that will be continually be working against their indifference, their “lukewarmness.”

 

o   Secondly, they must "repent." They must have a significant change of mind and a change of purpose, with actions that will fall in line with the Lord's commands.

 

·     The sense of this verse is, "Let my strong criticisms of you open your eyes, at once, to your need of repentance and also to the fact that it’s really love, on My part, that prompts Me to reprove and chastise you. A realization of My loving concern, as well as your own desperate condition, should bring a determined change of purpose and create within you a dedication that will remove the lukewarmness."

 

v.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 will dine with him, and he with Me.”

·     Jesus finishes His messages to the seven churches by ending with the message to the church at Laodicea.

 

·     Now the invitation becomes a personal one to all who will hear and heed His words of warning:

o   To all who will hear, Christ gives the invitation found in verse 20.

 

·     Christ is shown, here, in relation to the church, as well as to the individual, as standing outside the door of the church, awaiting an invitation to come in:

o   This is true of any local professing church.

 

·     Christ must be invited to come in and become the center of worship, adoration, and love, in every local church. But it’s also true of the individual.

 

·     The gracious invitation is extended, however, that if one opens the door (the door of faith, the door of worship, the door of love), Christ will come in and, having come in, will dine with the one who permits Him to enter, which is fellowship with the Lord of glory.

 

·     There are some who consider this a picture at the end times. To them, the opening of the door represents the joyful response of the church to Christ's last call, that is, His second coming.

 

·     But it's hardly true that at His second coming Christ will knock at the door and invite men to let Him in:

o   His second coming is to establish His kingdom, to sit on David’s throne.

 

·     The picture, here, seems more applicable to the present, when Christ remains on the outside unless He is welcomed in.

 

·     Notice the blessing revealed here in the attitude of God:

o   The infinite Creator and Sovereign, awaits the decision of His creatures who are so unworthy of the least of His blessings.

 

·     Throughout this present age, the attitude of Christ is one of knocking at the door, waiting for people, and churches, to decide to ask – invite – Him to come into their churches and lives.

 

·     The day will come when this attitude will be changed. He will come into power and glory, leading the armies of heaven, no longer awaiting the decision of man. But then, by His own power and majesty, He will take control, judging those who did not invite Him and rewarding those who did open the door and receive Him.

·     The promised entrance of Christ and His resulting fellowship with the faithful believer are realized in two phases:

o   The first phase happens simultaneously with initial saving faith, when we’re born again, regenerated

 

o   The ultimate phase will be at the time of His second coming and the setting up His Millennial Kingdom.

 

·     The true Christian has already begun fellowship with Christ, but his ultimate fellowship with Him has not yet begun.

 

·     Because of His patience, He keeps knocking, but at some point, unknown to mankind, that knocking will come to an end and He will enter the scene once again, both to deliver His faithful followers and to punish the rebellious.

 

·     "If anyone hears My voice and opens the door," refers to the custom at that time, which was to speak and identify oneself when knocking at someone’s door:

o   So, the opening of the door was in response to both His knock and His voice.

 

v.21, “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

·     In keeping with the promises given to the overcomers in the other churches, the promise is made to the Laodicean church to "sit with Me on my throne."

 

·     This promise, like the others, is not granted to those who are especially spiritual within the church, but rather to all who are genuine Christians who overcome by faith, and are victorious over the world.

 

·     To the overcomers the promise is granted that they will sit with Christ on His throne. What an amazing promise!

 

·     To those who previously came under the condemnation of being lukewarm to such an extent that they were in danger of being vomited out of the mouth of Christ, the promise is now given that they will share in His glory.

 

·     This promise hinges upon their separation from the lukewarm state to a true devotion to Christ.

 

Summary

Taken as a whole, the messages to the seven churches of Asia constitute a comprehensive warning from Christ to each of the churches. There is a warning to the churches of today to "hear what the Spirit says unto the churches."

 

The church at Ephesus represents the danger of losing our first love, that fresh devotion to Christ, which characterized the early church.

 

The church at Smyrna representing the danger of fear of suffering was exhorted, "fear none of those things which you shall suffer." In a modern day when persecution of the saints has been revived, the Church may well heed the exhortation, "fear not."

 

The church at Pergamum illustrates the constant danger of doctrinal compromise, which is often the first step toward complete defection. Oh, that the modern church, which has forsaken so many fundamentals of biblical truths would heed this warning!

 

The church at Thyatira is a monument to the danger of moral compromise. The Church today needs to pay close attention to the departure from moral standards, which has begun to permeate the Church today.

 

The church at Sardis is a warning against the danger of spiritual deadness, of orthodoxy without life, of mere outward appearances, of being, like the Pharisees, white sepulchers.

 

The church at Philadelphia who is commended by our Lord, is nevertheless warned against the danger of not holding fast, and exhorted to keep "the word of my patience," to maintain the "little strength" that they did have and to wait for their coming Lord.

 

The final message to the church at Laodicea is the ultimate indictment, a warning against the danger of lukewarmness, of self-sufficiency, of being unconscious of desperate spiritual need. 

 

To contemporary churches, each of these messages is amazingly relevant and pointed.  

 

In looking at the churches of today, here’s what our Lord sees as He stands in the midst of the lampstands.

 

The present age is an age of grace, an age in which God is testifying concerning Christ and His work. An age in which those who wish to hear may receive Christ and be saved. 

 

The invitation given long ago to the seven churches of Asia to “hear with the Spirit says,” is extended to us today. 

 

A loving God would have men and women believe, turn from their idols, and from themselves, and look in faith, to the Son of God, who loved them and gave Himself for them.

 

May the Lord of glory bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you as you are persevering in your faith and trust in Jesus’ death and resurrection from the dead.

 

 

By His Grace,

Gary T. Dromi, Ph.D., D.Min.