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1 Jesus Christ Through the Eyes of the Apostle John Lesson #70 The Revelation of Jesus Christ Christ's Letter to the Church in Laodicea Revelation 3:14 22 Image copyright by Pat Marvenko Smith... All rights reserved... Used by permission with thanks... The last of Christ's letters in Revelation is addressed to the church in Laodicea... This city was so wealthy that when the devastating Lydian earthquake of AD 17 leveled it and at least another dozen cities, Laodicea was able to rebuild without the financial help of the Roman emperor, Tiberius... In fact Laodicea actually refused to accept Roman aid... All of the other affected cities, including Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Sardis and Philadelphia accepted aid from Rome and relief from Roman taxes for the next five years... In AD 60 or so (the ancient records vary) Laodicea along with Colossae and Hierapolis were devastated by another massive earthquake... Again, Laodicea rebuilt with its own resources... In this letter, Jesus calls attention to the great wealth of the city... The inhabitants thought it was totally sufficient for their needs... Laodicea was known for its banking industry and its black wool industry... It manufactured garments from the raven-black wool

2 produced by the sheep of the surrounding area. Laodicea had a famous school of medicine; and a special ointment known as Phrygian powder, famous for its cure of eye defects, was either manufactured or distributed there, as were ear ointments also... But the city had always had a problem with its water supply. At one time an aqueduct was built to bring water to the city from hot springs. But by the time the water reached the city, it was neither hot nor refreshingly cool only lukewarm... The hot mineral springs also made the water taste so bad that it was nearly undrinkable... This letter contains no commendation, only rebuke for the Christians in Laodicea... It contains no mention of Satan's attempts to bring trouble to that church... Apparently, they were so lethargic that even Satan did not need to bother with them... Try to imagine what it must have been like to hear Jesus' words read to that congregation... Wealthy as the city and church were, Christ showed the Laodiceans that true value was not in material possessions but in a right relationship with God... Their possessions and achievements were valueless compared with the everlasting future of Christ's Kingdom... An important truth is contained in Jesus' comment that He rebukes and disciplines those He loves... Plan to discuss that thought in class... The passages are taken from the New English Translation (NET Bible)... Also refer to the version you usually use... If it has a study apparatus, please use it and plan to share in class...

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4 Opening Notes for the Church at Laodicea Laodicea was an extremely wealthy city: Major north-south / east-west cross-roads... Banking; money-changing... In A.D. 60 a second earthquake struck the city... Laodicea refused the Roman government's offer of financial aid to rebuild the city... Glossy black wool cloth manufactured; garments made & sold... Laodicea was well known as a center for the healing arts: It had a medical school in the temple of Asclepius... Phrygian powder was an effective eye medication... Galen, the physician, came later from Laodicea... We are so wealthy, God must be blessing what we do! Most clothing was black; priests wore white garments... Literal or Symbolic? If symbolic, what does it mean? I am going to vomit you out of my mouth! (Revelation 3:16) Buy gold, white clothes & eye salve from Jesus... (Revelation 3:18) Jesus rebukes & disciplines those He loves... (Revelation 3:19) If anyone invites Jesus in, He will sit down and share a meal with that person... (Revelation 3:20) I will grant the one who conquers permission to sit with me on my throne... (Revelation 3:21)

5 To the Church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14 22) 14 To the angel of the church in Laodicea write the following: This is the solemn pronouncement of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator of God's creation: 15 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot! 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth! 17 Because you say, I am rich and have acquired great wealth, and need nothing," but do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked, 18 take my advice and buy gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich! Buy from me white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness will not be exposed, and buy eye salve to put on your eyes so you can see! 19 All those I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent! 20 Listen! I am standing at the door and knocking! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into his home and share a meal with him, and he with me. 21 I will grant the one who conquers permission to sit with me on my throne, just as I too conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

6 Study Questions and Thoughts How might we distinguish God's material blessings to a church from those that are proudly man-made? How do Jesus' words show that He truly knows about the condition of this church (Revelation 3:15 18)? Why has the image of Christ standing at the door knocking has inspired so much Christian art (Revelation 3:20)? How would a modern church in Laodicea as Jesus describes it appear to us today? How would you use Jesus' offer to those who repented in this church to encourage a challenged church today? How do you think that God intended this passage to affect our daily life today?

7 Jesus Christ Through the Eyes of the Apostle John Lesson #70 The Revelation of Jesus Christ Christ's Letter to the Church in Laodicea A Revelation 3:14 22 To the Church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14 22) 14 To the angel of the church in Laodicea B write the following: This is the solemn pronouncement of the Amen, C the faithful and true witness, D A B C D See end notes for some background on the city of Laodicea... Apart from this text, the name Laodicea occurs only once in the entire New Testament (Colossians 4:13). Its nearness to Colosse makes Epaphras the likely founder of the church in Laodicea (Colossians 1:7; 4:12-13). Paul had sent a letter to this church, and he requested that the Colossians arrange that their letter be read in the church of the Laodiceans and they in turn read the Laodiceans' letter (Colossians 4:16). We have no information that Paul ever visited this church. Perhaps after his release from Roman imprisonment, he visited Colosse (Philemon 22) and neighboring Laodicea. [BNTC] Jesus' description of himself as the word Amen derives from the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. The Amen conveys the idea of that which is true, firmly established, and trustworthy. It was a word familiar to worshipers, who joined in a doxology uttering their confirmation to what they had heard (e.g., 1 Chronicles 16:36; Psalm 106:48). It is the emphatic Yes as an affirmative response to a prayer or a conclusion to a doxology. Preceded by the definite article, the Amen has become personified in the Hebrew text as the God of Amen, in translation, the God of truth (Isaiah 65:16; compare 2 Corinthians 1:20). Jesus takes this title for himself and interprets it in the next clause as the faithful and true witness. The terms faithful and true are both translations of the same Hebrew expression Amen. [BNTC] This clarifying phrase the faithful and true witness is an echo of the trinitarian greeting; without the term witness it is descriptive of the rider on a white horse. It means that whatever Jesus speaks is indubitably true, so that at the end of the Apocalypse we read the affirmation: these words are faithful and true. For being a faithful witness, Antipas suffered martyrdom in Pergamum. Fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies. Christ is the true Israel, because he is the Amen, the faithful and true witness. [BNTC]

8 the originator E of God's creation: F E F Or the beginning of God's creation; or the ruler of God's creation. From a linguistic standpoint all three meanings for ἀρχή (archē) are possible. The term is well attested in both Septuagint (LXX) and intertestamental Jewish literature as meaning ruler, authority (BDAG 138 s.v. 6). Some have connected this passage to Paul's statements in Colossians 1:15-18 which describe Christ as ἀρχή and πρωτότοκος; [Mounce] but the term ἀρχή has been understood as either beginning or ruler in that passage as well. The most compelling connection is to be found in the prologue to John's Gospel (John 1:2-4) where the λόγος (logos) is said to be in the beginning with God, a temporal reference connected with creation, and then John 1:3 states that all things were made through him. The connection with the original creation suggests the meaning originator for ἀρχή here. BDAG gives the meaning the first cause for the word in Revelation 3:14, a term that is too philosophical for the general reader, so the translation originator was used instead. BDAG also notes, but the meaning beginning = 'first created' is linguistically probable. [NET_Bible] Alone of all the seven letters to the churches in western Asia Minor, the description of Christ in this letter is not derived from Jesus' appearance to John on the island of Patmos. It comes from the greeting, which reads and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead. When Jesus refers to himself as the origin of God's creation, we see a close link to Paul's letter to the Colossians, which was read by the Laodiceans in worship services. The Lord calls himself the origin of God's creation. We should not interpret the word origin passively, as if Jesus were created or recreated, but actively, because Jesus is the one who generates and calls God's creation into being (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-18; Hebrews 1:1-2). What then is the purpose of this description? To show that Jesus Christ made all things and thus possesses and controls them. Also, all things were made to serve him. The message to the Laodiceans is that their boast in earthly riches is misplaced because all things belong to Jesus, who is worthy of praise and glory. [BNTC]

9 15 'I know your deeds, G that you are neither cold H nor hot. I G H I The term works appears in the other letters too. Here it means exactly the same thing as in the letter to the church in Sardis: incomplete deeds that are not even worth mentioning. Jesus knew the works of both Sardis and Laodicea and for these two churches he had only sharp reproof. They were no longer active and alive: the few faithful in Sardis were like glowing embers amid a layer of ash; those in Laodicea were like their water supply neither cold nor hot. [BNTC] If the Laodiceans had never heard the gospel, they would have been cold in a spiritual sense. We assume that the first-generation Christians in Laodicea accepted the gospel and were glowing with a spiritual fire and enthusiasm. But their descendants were tepid. They had no interest in being a witness for Jesus Christ, in living a life of service for the Lord, or in preaching and teaching his gospel for the advancement of his church and kingdom. Although they possessed the Scriptures, they were apathetic, indifferent, and unconcerned about the things of the Lord. It is no wonder that Jesus said, I know your works, with the implication that there were none. [BNTC] Laodicea was near two other towns, each of which had a unique water source. To the north was Hierapolis which had a natural hot spring, often used for medicinal purposes. To the east was Colossae which had cold, pure waters. In contrast to these towns, Laodicea had no permanent supply of good water. Efforts to pipe water to the city from nearby springs were successful, but it would arrive lukewarm. The metaphor in the text is not meant to relate spiritual fervor to temperature. This would mean that Laodicea would be commended for being spiritually cold, but it is unlikely that Jesus would commend this. Instead, the metaphor condemns Laodicea for not providing spiritual healing (being hot) or spiritual refreshment (being cold) to those around them. It is a condemnation of their lack of works and lack of witness. [NET_Bible]

10 I wish you were either cold or hot! J 16 So because you are lukewarm, K J K The church in Laodicea had not become indifferent because worldly interests had chilled its proper fervour, but it had become ineffective because, believing they were spiritually well-equipped, its members had closed their doors and left their real Provider outside. They had excluded Christ and thought they could do without him. By doing so they had become utterly ineffective as a church. Without Christ the church is dead. [BNTC] No word of commendation was extended to the Laodicean church. They were pictured as utterly abhorrent to Christ because they were lukewarm. This was addressed to the church and also to the messenger or the pastor whom some believe was Archippus (Colossians 4:17). It is improbable, however, that Archippus, if he had been the pastor of the church, was still living. In referring to the church as lukewarm Christ had in mind that this was its permanent situation. In their feasts as well as in their religious sacrifices people in the ancient world customarily drank what was either hot or cold never lukewarm. This rebuke would have been especially meaningful to this church, for water was piped to the city from Hierapolis, a few miles north. By the time the water reached Laodicea, it was lukewarm! [BKC] The hot springs at a distance of six miles near Hierapolis sent water of medicinal quality down to Laodicea. By the time the water arrived there, it had cooled considerably, and because of the calcium carbonate in the water, it had a nauseating effect on the people who drank it. By contrast, Colosse, eleven miles away, was blessed with springs producing refreshing water that was cold and pure. [BNTC]

11 and neither hot nor cold, L I am going to vomit M you out of my mouth! L M Christ has no interest at all in lukewarm Christianity, because it is worthless. He prefers to work either with people who are aflame with energy to do his bidding or those who have never been told about the message of salvation and are willing to listen. Lukewarm water laced with calcium carbonate induces vomiting. Similarly nominal Christians void of spiritual works are utterly distasteful to the Lord, and he is about to spew them out of his mouth. Note that Jesus does not say, I will spew you out of my mouth, but rather, I am about to spew you out of my mouth. Here is the grace of the Lord Jesus as he is giving the Laodiceans time to repent after they have read his letter. This epistle is meant to change the recipients' lukewarm attitude into an eagerness to work for the Lord, for grace always precedes condemnation. [BNTC] This is the literal meaning of the Greek verb. It is usually translated with a much weaker term like "spit out" due to the unpleasant connotations of the English verb vomit, as noted by L&N. The situation confronting the Laodicean church is a dire one, however, and such a term is necessary if the modern reader is to understand the gravity of the situation. [NET_Bible] Cold water (and sometimes spiced hot water) was preferred for drinking, and hot water for bathing, but Laodicea lacked a natural water supply. Water piped in from hot springs six miles to the south, like any cold water that could have been procured from the mountains, would be lukewarm by the time it reached Laodicea. Although water could be heated, the natural lukewarmness of local water (in contrast with the hot water available at nearby Hierapolis) was undoubtedly a standard complaint of local residents, most of whom had an otherwise comfortable lifestyle. (Their imported water was also full of sediment, though better, said the geographer Strabo, than the water of Hierapolis.) Jesus says: Were you hot [i.e., for bathing] or cold [i.e., for drinking], you would be useful; but as it is, I feel toward you the way you feel toward your water supply you make me sick. [IVPBBC]

12 17 Because you say, I am rich N and have acquired great wealth, O N O the word rich may point to either material or spiritual possessions. Did the members of the church identify with the local citizens who in A.D. 60 had rejected financial aid from Rome when Laodicea was devastated by an earthquake? Or does the context compel the reader to understand the word to refer to spiritual riches? The preceding passage and the succeeding verse force commentators to adopt the second choice. The evidence indicates that the church had adopted the norms of Laodicea and carried them over into the spiritual realm. For instance, the city known as a financial center erected sizable buildings, gates, and towers soon after the quake that destroyed the city. It took pride in being independent and in its ability to help its neighbors suffering from the same disaster. The church members wholeheartedly approved of showing independence and helping one's neighbor. Consequently, they failed to see the difference between material and spiritual wealth. They boasted of their selfsufficiency and had no need of Christ. They were spiritually blind. [BNTC] Although we cannot determine whether the members of the church in Laodicea were affluent or not, we do know that the local citizens were wealthy and prosperous. The saying I am rich and need nothing also occurs in a diatribe of Epictetus, who records these words coming from an imperial bailiff. Perhaps the saying was proverbial among the rich. But here the words come from the mouths of the Christians in Laodicea, who had adapted themselves completely to the citizenry. Thus, instead of the church influencing society, the reverse had taken place, with society leading the church. [BNTC] Laodicea was a prosperous banking center; proud of its wealth, it refused Roman disaster relief after the earthquake of A.D. 60, rebuilding from its own resources. It was also known for its textiles (especially wool) and for its medical school and production of ear medicine and undoubtedly the highly reputed Phrygian eye salve. Everything in which Laodicea could have confidence outwardly, its church, which reflected its culture, lacked spiritually. [IVPBBC]

13 and need nothing, P but Q do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked, R P Q R From a logical point of view the order being rich and having become wealthy is reversed. After one becomes affluent, he or she can say, I am rich. But this inversion of the expected sequence occurs more often in the Apocalypse and even appears in the Fourth Gospel, angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. Not to have need of anything is inconceivable for the true believer, who depends on God every moment day and night for food and drink, home, shelter, clothing, protection, spiritual nourishment, encouragement, comfort, love, joy, happiness, and numerous other blessings. To be selfsufficient is the height of spiritual arrogance, for faith and trust in the Lord no longer function. [BNTC] The contrast introduced by the adversative but is striking indeed. Jesus said, I know your works and now he tells the Laodiceans that they lack knowledge of themselves. He uses the personal pronoun you for emphasis in the singular to address the church as a whole. He describes the church with five adjectives, of which the first one is wretched. It denotes the mundane condition of people who disregard divine essentials: a rich person who lacks the wealth that counts before God. In addition to being spiritually bankrupt, the wealthy are to be pitied. Paul uses the word pity in the superlative when he writes about people who doubt the resurrection. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied (1 Corinthians 15:19 NRSV). Instead of being rich, [they] are spiritually poor because they are blinded by material possessions. And last, they stand naked before God and are unable to cover their shame. With only five adjectives, Jesus has described their miserable condition. The first two (wretched and pitiable) reflect the inner condition of the Laodiceans, while the last three (poor, blind, and naked) describe both their internal and external condition. [BNTC] Although Greeks did not share Palestinian Jews moral abhorrence of nudity, everyone except Cynic sages agreed that the lack of clothing described here, that of poverty (here spiritual), was undesirable. Phrygian eye salve was apparently not an ointment per se but was probably powdered and smeared on to the eyelids. On white garments,; here it may be a stark contrast with Laodicea s famous black wool. [IVPBBC]

14 18 take my advice S and buy gold from me refined by fire T so you can become rich! U S T U This verse takes up the last three adjectives of the previous verse although out of sequence. When these three adjectives (poor, naked, and blind) are removed, the first two (wretched and pitiable) disappear. Also, these three comprise all the blessings a believer needs for his or her salvation: redemption, justification, and sanctification. [BNTC] Notice, therefore, the kind of gold that Christ makes available to the Laodiceans: gold refined by fire. It is gold that has been purified to such a degree that the glow of fire emanates from it (see 1 Peter 1:7). These words hint at the fiery trial that the followers of Christ are to endure. Gold is actually another word for faith, which is far more precious than gold. Faith must be allimportant to the Laodiceans, for they should realize that Jesus is speaking to them in spiritual terms. What is at stake here is that all their impurities are to be burned away, so that their faith comes out of the fire intact, and as a consequence their love for Christ is pure. [BNTC] Instead of a harsh rebuke and sharp command, Jesus counsels the Laodiceans and demonstrates his divine grace. He borrows language from the marketplace and alludes to an Old Testament passage: Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost (Isaiah 55:1). Appealing to people who boldly stated that they had no needs, the Lord invites them to buy refined gold from him. By implication, he wants them to come to him as destitute beggars who would never be able to buy this precious commodity. The Greek word gold refers to finely crafted products as in jewelry or coins and not merely to the metal itself. The money changers at the Laodicean bank handled currency on a daily basis, but Christ is counseling the people to come to him and buy. Yet his advice purposely omits money, for the transaction must take place without legal tender. They can obtain the gold only from Jesus. [BNTC]

15 Buy from me white clothing V so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness will not be exposed, W V W In a city where the garment industry provided work and income for countless people, these words had a direct appeal. The black wool that the sheep produced was the color of the great majority of clothes manufactured there. Priests wore white garments, but now this attire is the eschatological attire of the saints who with the white color attest to holiness and purity. There is an allusion to the Ancient of Days, His clothing was as white as snow (Daniel 7:9). [BNTC] The reason for clothing oneself with white garments is to cover the nakedness of sin and thus not be put to shame. The Old Testament provides a number of instances where either the reality or the threat of utter humiliation centered on being stripped naked. The Christians in Laodicea were spiritually naked, [for] all the looms in their city could not weave cloth to cover their sins. Laodicea might supply the whole world with her tunics and clothing materials; but righteousness was the white raiment which God demanded, and this they must get from Christ. Only Jesus removes sin and guilt, for he alone can provide the white robe of righteousness. [BNTC]

16 and buy eye salve X to put on your eyes Y so you can see! Z X Y Z The city of Laodicea had a famous medical school and exported a powder (called a Phrygian powder ) that was widely used as an eye salve. It was applied to the eyes in the form of a paste the consistency of dough (the Greek term for the salve here, κολλούριον, kollourion [Latin collyrium], is a diminutive form of the word for a long roll of bread). [NET_Bible] Then Christ exhorted them to put salve on their eyes. A medical school was located in Laodicea at the temple of Asclepius, which offered a special salve to heal common eye troubles of the Middle East. What they needed was not this medicine but spiritual sight. The church at Laodicea is typical of a modern church quite unconscious of its spiritual needs and content with beautiful buildings and all the material things money can buy. This is a searching and penetrating message. To all such the exhortation is be earnest, and repent. Christ rebuked them because He loved them, which love would also bring chastisement on this church. [BKC] The medical school in Laodicea had become acquainted with the healing properties of the so-called Phrygian stone. This stone, which came from the nearby province Phrygia, was ground to powder and made into an ointment used to heal eye diseases. The Laodicean believers were blinded by self-deception, unable to see with spiritual eyes. With the eye salve that Jesus provides, the Laodiceans would be able to see their own sins in the light of God's Word and to walk with Jesus, who is the light of the world. [BNTC]

17 19 All those I love, AA I rebuke and discipline. AB So be earnest and repent! AC AA Although the Greek verb agapao can be translated I truly love and the verb phileo I love, these verbs are often seen as synonyms. The word agapao appears in the letter to the church of Philadelphia, I have loved you, but the verb phileo here. This does not mean that Jesus loved the Philadelphians with true love and the Laodiceans with affection. Rather, it signifies that within the context of rebuke and discipline, Jesus addresses the church of Laodicea in love. [BNTC] AB In these two verses, Jesus admonishes the church in Laodicea. As with much of his teaching, he bases it on the Old Testament Scriptures. Thus, the words Those whom I love I reprove and discipline allude to Proverbs 3:12: Because the LORD disciplines those he loves. Jesus changes the clause from the third person to the first person and adds the verb to reprove. Also, the Greek has the pronoun I at the beginning of the sentence for added emphasis. And last, the Lord speaks in general. He utters the pronoun those when he says, those whom I love, to indicate that love and discipline go hand in hand in renewing their relationship. [BNTC] AC Renewal takes place when the recipients of this letter obediently follow the twofold command: be zealous and repent. Logically, the act of repenting precedes that of being zealous, but the oriental mind is interested in concepts, not analyses. The Greek shows a play on words: the adjective zestos (hot from which we have the derivative zest ) and the verb zeleue (be zealous!) have the same root. Jesus tells them to begin being zealous for him with a passion that generates spiritual fervor. Zeal is a necessary component of love for God. Whereas being zealous is a command in the present tense to denote continuity, the imperative repent is a once-for-all action. That is, the Laodiceans must make a 180-degree turn by forsaking the past and wholeheartedly adopting their new life in Christ. [BNTC]

18 20 Listen! I am standing at the door and knocking! AD If anyone AE hears my voice and opens the door AF AD Being shut out from the spiritual life of the individual members of the Laodicean church, Jesus figuratively stands outside the door of their heart and knocks to gain entrance (compare James 5:9). He persistently knocks to gain their attention, so that no one will ever be able to say that the Lord failed to call them. He calls them individually by continually rapping on the doors of their hearts as though the owners are asleep. The stress is on human responsibility to go to the door and answer the one who is seeking entrance. The Lord opened Lydia's heart (Acts 16:14), but here he waits for the sinner to do so. Here is the crux of divine action and human responsibility. When these two appear with reference to God's electing grace in human beings, we encounter a mystery that defies human understanding. Scripture teaches God's intervention and human accountability as the two sides of the proverbial coin (Philippians 2:12-13). [BNTC] AE The term anyone indicates that the call to repentance is broad and inclusive. Jesus not only stands at the door of a sinner's heart and knocks repeatedly, but he also speaks and calls him or her to repent. As soon as a person responds to Jesus' voice Jesus enters his or her heart. Note well that Jesus is fully in control, for the emphasis in this sentence is on Jesus who speaks, enters one's heart, and dines with the person who responds. It is clear that the responsibility for listening and responding to Jesus' voice rests with the hearer. [BNTC] AF Some scholars view this passage eschatologically as a parallel to the parable of the watchful servant. They relate the text to the Second Coming of Christ and contend that an eschatological interpretation agrees with a similar motif in Revelation. But formidable objections dissuade other commentators from seeing this parable in the context of the church members in Laodicea whom Jesus told to repent. The Lord stands at the door of their heart, knocks repeatedly, and expects a response from them. The context of the watchful servant parable differs in its details from this passage. [BNTC]

19 I will come into his home AG and share a meal AH with him, AI AG Greek come in to him. The expression in Greek does not mean entrance into the person, as is popularly taken, but entrance into a room or building toward the person. See ExSyn Some interpreters understand the door here to be the door to the Laodicean church, and thus a collective or corporate image rather than an individual one. [NET_Bible] AH Table fellowship was a sign of intimacy and committed the guest and host to friendly relations. Jesus here invites the Laodicean Christians to dine in the present at the messianic banquet; it is an invitation to a genuinely lavish banquet, implying again their spiritual poverty. But the door to fellowship is presently closed from their side. [IVPBBC] AI This sentence teaches a distinctively Johannine doctrine. That is, Jesus desires to fellowship with us. In the Eastern mind, hospitality at mealtime demonstrates the host's trust in and respect for the guest, for the host has opened his home to the guest and breaks bread with him. But here it is Jesus who assumes the role of host, for he says that he will enter and dine with his guest for the main meal of the day. This meal was enjoyed near the end of the day, after working hours, in an atmosphere of leisure and close fellowship. This was a time of conversation during which wholesome topics were discussed, laughter was heard, and counsel was given for solving problems. This passage speaks of union with Christ in a day-by-day walk with him. Although it hints at the celebration of the Lord's Supper and the wedding feast at the return of the Lord, especially in light of the eschatology of verse Revelation 3:21, that is not the main emphasis in verse 3:20. The emphasis is on communion with Christ. [BNTC]

20 and he with me. AJ AJ Dramatically Christ pictured Himself as standing outside and knocking on a door. In a familiar painting the latch is not shown but is assumed to be on the inside. The appeal is for those who hear to open the door. To them Christ promised, I will go in and eat with him, and he with Me. With Christ on the outside, there can be no fellowship or genuine wealth. With Christ on the inside, there is wonderful fellowship and sharing of the marvelous grace of God. This was an appeal to Christians rather than to non-christians. This raises the important question concerning the extent of one s intimate fellowship with Christ. To those who respond, Christ promises to give the right to sit with Him on His throne and share His victory. [BKC]

21 21 I will grant the one who conquers AK permission to sit with me on my throne, AL just as I too conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. AM 22 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' AK John wrote the familiar words the one who overcomes as a repetition of the preceding letters and then writes the promise that Jesus gives to the overcomer. It indicates that Jesus gives this promise in the first place to the Laodiceans and then to all believers. What an astounding grace and mercy extended to a church that receives from the Lord no praise at all! Yet these people, provided they repent and overcome, will be given the privilege of being seated with Christ on the Father's throne. [BNTC] AL The language must be understood to convey a symbolical message. We are unable to comprehend the significance of the privilege to sit next to Jesus on the throne. Therefore, to ask whether the throne is large enough to accommodate Christ's followers is futile. The message supported by other passages in Scripture is that glorified believers have the honor and duty to judge the twelve tribes of Israel, the world, and angels (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30; 1 Corinthians 6:2-3); and they will rule with Christ (2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 5:10; 20:4-6; 22:5). Jesus' promise is based on the vision that Daniel received: Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him (Daniel 7:27). Jesus looks backward to his suffering, death, and resurrection when he says that he too overcame. He remarks that he took a place on the throne at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 1:3; 8:1; 12:2). Yet the difference is that Christ performed his mediatorial work on our behalf and has been given the honor of occupying the seat next to the Father. On the other hand, Jesus looks forward and tells us that when we overcome, we will take a place next to him at his invitation. That will be glory indeed. [BNTC] AM The image here is one of sharing God s rule; Jesus shares as coregent or viceroy, whereas his people share because they are exalted to rule over the earth (as in Old Testament and Jewish expectations for Israel s exaltation). God s preexistent and glorious throne was the subject of much discussion among Jewish apocalyptic writers and mystics. [IVPBBC]

22 Other Scripture Related to This Lesson 1 Chronicles 16:36 JPS Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting. And all the people said: 'Amen,' and praised the LORD. Psalm 106:48 JPS Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting, and let all the people say: 'Amen.' Hallelujah. Isaiah 65:16 CJB Thus someone on earth who blesses himself will bless himself by the God of truth, and someone on earth who swears an oath will swear by the God of truth; for past troubles will be forgotten, hidden from my eyes. Daniel 7:9 HRB I was looking until the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days sat, whose robe was white as snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was like flames of fire, its wheels like burning fire. Matthew 19:28 NASB And Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel... Luke 22:28-30 NASB You are those who have stood by Me in My trials; 29 and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel... John 1:1-4 NKJV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. Acts 16:14 NET A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, a God-fearing woman, listened to us. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.

23 1 Corinthians 6:1-3 NIV If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord's people? 2 Or do you not know that the Lord's people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 2 Corinthians 1:20 NASB For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. Philippians 2:12-13 NLT Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. Colossians 1:7-8 NIV You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 5 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. Colossians 1:15-18 NLT Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see--such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him. 17 He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together. 18 Christ is also the head of the church, which is His body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So He is first in everything.

24 Colossians 4:12-16 NIV Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. 13 I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14 Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. 16 After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea. Colossians 4:17 NKJV And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it. 2 Timothy 2:11-13 NASB It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. Philemon 22 NASB At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you. Hebrews 1:1-3 NET After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets, 2 in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world. 3 The Son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Hebrews 8:1-2 NASB Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.

25 Hebrews 12:1-2 HCSB Therefore since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God's throne. James 5:9 NIV Don't grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! 1 Peter 1:7 NET Such trials show the proven character of your faith, which is much more valuable than gold gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away and will bring praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Revelation 5:9-10 NKJV And they sang a new song, saying: You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth. Revelation 20:4-6 NLT Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years. Revelation 22:5 NASB And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.

26 End Notes Laodicia Background From Ramsay: The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia Laodicea was founded by Antiochus II ( BC). As a Seleucid foundation, it was probably similar to Thyatira in respect of constitution and law; but no information has been preserved. It was situated at a critical point in the road system of the country. The great road from the west (from Ephesus and from Miletus) ascends the Meander Valley due eastwards, until it enters the Gate of Phrygia. In the Gate are a remarkable series of hot springs, and warm mud-baths, some in the bed of the Meander, others on its banks. The scene before the traveller as he traverses the Gate is a suitable introduction to that Phrygian land, which always seemed to the Greeks something strange and unique. Immediately above this point lies a much broader valley, in which Lydia, Phrygia, and Caria meet. The Meander comes into this valley from the north, breaking through a ridge of mountains by a gorge, which, though singularly beautiful in scenery, is useless as a roadway. The road goes on to the east up the glen of the Lycus, which here joins the Meander, and offers an easy roadway. The Lycus Glen is double, containing a lower and an upper glen. Laodicea is the city of the lower glen, Colossae of the upper. Due north of Laodicea, between the Lycus and the Meander, stands Hierapolis, in a very conspicuous situation, on a shelf below the northern mountains and above the valley, with a cascade of gleaming white cliffs below it, topped by the buildings, still wonderfully well preserved, of the old city. The glen of the Lycus extends up like a funnel into the flank of the main plateau of Anatolia. Between the lower and the upper glen there is a step about 400 feet high, and again between the upper glen and the plateau there is another step of about 850 feet; but both can be surmounted easily by the road. The lower glen, also, slopes upwards, rising 250 feet; and the upper glen slopes much more rapidly, rising 550 feet. In this way the rise from the Meander

27 Valley, 550 feet above the sea, to the plateau, 2,600 feet (an exceptionally low elevation), is achieved far more easily by this path than at any other point. Hence the Lycus Glen was always the most frequented path of trade from the interior to the west throughout ancient time. Laodicea was placed as a guard and door-keeper on this road, near the foot of the Lycus Glen, where it opens on the main valley of the Meander. The hills that bound the glen on the south run up northwards to an apex, one side facing northwest, the other northeast; this apex lies between the river Lycus (the Wolf), and its large tributary the Kapros (the Boar), which comes in from the south and passes near the eastern gate: the Lycus is about three miles to the north of the city. Laodicea was placed on the apex; and the great road from the coast to the inner country passed right through the middle of it, entering by the Ephesian Gates on the east. The city was nearly square, with the corners towards the cardinal points. One side, towards the southwest, was washed by the small river Asopus. The hills rise not more than one hundred feet above the glen; but they spring sharply from the low and level ground in front; and, when crowned by the well-built fortifications of a Seleucid city, they must have presented a striking aspect towards the glen, and constituted an admirably strong line of defence. Laodicea was a very strong fortress, planted right on the line of the great road; but it had one serious weakness. It was entirely dependent for watersupply (except in so far as wells may have existed within the walls, of which there is now no trace) on an aqueduct conducted from springs about six miles to the south. The aqueduct was under the surface of the ground, but could hardly remain unknown to a besieging army or be guarded long against his attack. If the aqueduct was cut, the city was helpless; and this weakness ruined the character of the city as a strong fortress, and must have prevented the people from ever feeling secure when threatened with attack.

28 Planted on the better of the two entrances from the west to the Phrygian land, Laodicea might have been expected to be (like Philadelphia, which commanded the other) a missionary city charged at first with the task of spreading Greek civilisation and speech in barbarian Phrygia, and afterwards undertaking the duty of spreading Christianity in that country. It had, however, made little progress in Hellenising Phrygia. As has been stated before, Phrygia was the least Hellenised part in all the Province; as a whole, it still spoke the native tongue, and was little affected by Greek manners, in contrast with Eastern Lydia, which was entirely Greek-speaking and Hellenised (at least superficially). Why it was that Laodicea had failed and Philadelphia had succeeded in diffusing the Greek tongue in the districts immediately around, we have no means of judging. But such was the case. Laodicea was a knot on the road-system. Not merely the great eastern highway and central route of the Roman Empire, as already described, but also the road from Pergamum and the Hermus Valley to Pisidia and Pamphylia passed through its gates; while a road from Eastern Caria, and at least one from Central and West Phrygia, met in the city. In such a situation it only needed peace to become a great commercial and financial centre. It was, as Strabo says, only a small city before the Roman time; but after Rome kept peace in the land, it grew rapidly. Cicero brought with him in 51 BC orders to be cashed in Laodicea, as the city of banking and exchange. It was also a manufacturing centre. There was produced in the valley a valuable sort of wool, soft in texture and glossy black in colour, which was widely esteemed. This wool was woven into garments of several kinds for home use and export trade. Small and cheap upper garments, called himatia, two kinds of birros (another sort of upper garment), one of native style and one in imitation of the manufactures of the Nervii, a tribe in French Flanders, and also tunics of several kinds, were made in Laodicea; and one species of the tunics, called trimita, was so famous that the city is styled Trimitaria in the lists of the Council of Chalcedon, AD 451, and in some other late documents.

29 It is pointed out elsewhere that this kind of glossy black wool, as well as the glossy violet-dark wool produced at Colossae, was probably attained by some system of breeding and crossing. The glossy black fleeces have now entirely disappeared; but they were known in comparatively recent times. Pococke in the eighteenth century saw a great many black sheep; but Chandler in the early part of the nineteenth saw only a few black and glossy fleeces. The present writer has seen some black-fleeced sheep, but the wool was not distinguished by the gloss which the ancients praised and prized so much. Certain systems of breeding animals, and improving them by careful selection and crossing with different stocks, were known to the native Anatolian population in early times: the rules were a matter of religious prescription, and guarded by religious awe, like almost every useful art in that primitive period. But the system has now been lost. Between Laodicea and the Gate of Phrygia lay a famous temple, the home of the Phrygian god Men Karou, the Carian Men. This was the original god of the valley. His temple was the centre of society and administration, intercourse and trade, as well as of religion, or, rather, that primitive religion was a system of performing those duties and purposes in the orderly way that the god approved and taught for the valley in which the Lycus and the Meander meet. A market was held under the protection of his sacred name, beside or in his own precinct, at which the people of the valley met and traded with strangers from a distance; and this market continued to meet weekly in the same place until about fifty years ago, when it was moved two or three miles north to the new village called Serai-Keui. In connection with this temple there grew up a famous school of medicine. The school seems to have had its seat at Laodicea, and not at the temple (which was about thirteen miles west of Laodicea and in the territory of the city Attoudda); and the names of the leading physicians of the school in the time of Augustus are mentioned on Laodicean coins. These coins bear as type either the serpent-encircled staff of Asklepios or the figure of Zeus. The Zeus who was worshipped at Laodicea was the Hellenised form of the