Above chart from http://chrisedmondson.blogspot.com/2011/05/revelation-endings.html
Above map from http://welcometohosanna.com/REVELATION/
Notice how close Hierapolis and Colossae are to Laodicea.
Keyword: Overcome (victorious) (νικάω - nikaō)
(Your Nike shoes mean "victorious!"):
- Sardis:
- All who are VICTORIOUS will be clothed
in white. I will never erase their names from the Book
of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his
angels that they are mine.
- Philadelphia:
- All who are VICTORIOUS will
become
pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never
have to leave it. And I will write my God's name on
them, and they will be citizens in the city of my God
-- the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God.
And they will have my new name inscribed upon them.
- Laodicea:
- I will invite everyone who is VICTORIOUS
to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious
and sat with my Father on his throne.
- Sardis - The Dying, Complacent Church - Revelation 3:1-6
- Philadelphia - The Church of Brotherly Love -
Revelation 3:7-13
- Laodicea - The Lukewarm Church of Compromise -
Revelation 3:14-22
SARDIS the DYING, COMPLACENT CHURCH
Archeology of Sardis:
- Sardis Artemis complex: The sanctuary of Artemis (Diana)
is a huge temple. Soon after 300 B.C., the temple construction was started and
building continued for centuries. The cults of Zeus and the Roman Imperial
Family may have been conducted here also. In 17 A.D., an earthquake required
restoration. After antiquity, the site was abandoned and plundered for building
materials. By the 20th century, only two columns were still standing. Excavations
took place between 1910-1914. Probably built in the 5th century A.D., a Christian
chapel is close to the old temple.
Source of Sardis image: www.pbase.com/dosseman/image/38183471
- Sardis Gymnasium-Bathhouse: A large complex built in center
of the lower city in the 2nd century A.D. included a gymnasium and a bathhouse.
The complex was over five acres in size and its western part
was characterized by large vaulted halls for bathing. The eastern part was a large
open courtyard for exercise. Source of image: www.bibleplaces.com/sardis.htm
Ruins of the synagogue in Sardis - dating from around 150 to
250 B.C. It was the largest ancient synagogue outside of Israel and, with its
length of 300 feet, it could accommodate up to 1,000 people at a time. Image from
www.arcimaging.org/GeisslerRex/GeisslerRex1.html
- The Temple of Artemis (Diana or Cybele - the mother goddess) in Sardis
was the fourth largest Ionic temple in the world. During the Roman period,
it served also as a temple of the imperial cult.
- During the Roman period, Sardis gained the prestigious title of neokoros,
"temple-warden." The neokoros status required Sardis to have
a temple dedicated to the imperial family. The Temple of Artemis was
thus divided into a double temple: one half for Artemis and the Empress
Faustina and the other half for Zeus and Emperor Antoninus Pius (138 – 161
A.D.)
Roman Status of Sardis:
- Sardis came under Roman rule in 133 B.C. and was eventually made a provincial
capital .
- When the city was destroyed by an earthquake in 17 A.D., the emperor Tiberius
awarded no less than ten million sesterces (about $40 million today) for its reconstruction
and told the Sardians that they did not have to pay taxes for five years (Tacitus,
Annals, 2.47).
- A Roman road in the 1st century connected Sardis to the north, and Philadelphia
and Laodicea to the south. Upon that highway traveled all kinds of trade caravans.
Geography of Sardis:
- Sardis, capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, was 46 miles
east of Smyrna, 28 miles west of Philadelphia, 31 miles south of
Thyatira, 60 miles
inland from Ephesus and Smyrna, in the middle of Hermus valley at the
foot
of Mount Tmolus, a steep and lofty spur which formed the citadel.
- The sands along the Pactolus stream were filled with gold,
which
helped to account for the active commerce and trading that occurred
here for many years.
Idolatry in Sardis:
- Artemis was the main goddess of the city and the temple, one
of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was one of the seven largest
Greek temples (more than double the size of the Parthenon). Artemis,
known as Diana by the Romans, was the daughter of Zeus and twin
of Apollo. She was the goddess of the hunt, the moon and fertility.
- This was also a temple to the goddess Cybele, called, “the mother of the
gods”. Worship of this Greek god ended in a wild orgiastic celebration
following three days of mourning.
Secular History of Sardis:
- Sardis, the capital of the Lydian Empire located in western
Turkey, was one of the great cities of Asia Minor and thrived under the
rule of King Croesus, before falling to the Persians.
- King Cyrus the Great sacked the city in 547 B.C. and Alexander
the Great conquered it in 334 B.C.
- Tacitus reports an earthquake affected the city in 17 A.D. "That same year twelve
famous cities of Asia fell by an earthquake in the night, so that the
destruction was all the more unforeseen and fearful. Nor were there the means
of escape usual in, such a disaster, by rushing out into the open country, for
there people were swallowed up by the yawning earth. Vast mountains,
it is said, collapsed; what had been level ground seemed to be raised aloft, and
fires blazed out amid the ruin. The calamity fell most fatally on the
inhabitants of Sardis, and it attracted to them the largest share of
sympathy."
- The 1st century A.D. population of Sardis is estimated at
120,000.
Wealth of Sardis:
- The stream Pactolus which flowed through the market-place "carried golden
sands" - gold dust out of Mount Tmolus. The legend of
the "Golden Fleece" supposedly originated from the method of
laying sheep skins in the shallows of the Pactolus to collect gold particles.
- During the reign of King Croesus, the metallurgists of Sardis discovered
the secret of separating gold from silver, thereby producing both metals of a
purity never known before. This was an economic revolution,
for while gold nuggets panned or mined were used as currency, their purity was
always suspect and a hindrance to trade. Such nuggets or coinage were naturally
occurring alloys of gold and silver known as electrum.
Sardis now could mint nearly pure silver and gold coins, the value of
which was trusted throughout the empire. This revolution made Sardis rich and
Croesus' (Midas') name was synonymous with wealth itself - the source of the "Midas
touch" myth. For this reason, Sardis is famed in history as the place
where modern currency was invented. The first gold coin in the western
world was issued here around 500 B.C.
Above: Sardis coins. Image from www.neverthirsty.org/pp/bible-studies/revelation/study06/rev02-alive-churches-are-holy.html- Greek literature for generations held up Croesus of Sardis as a symbol
of enormous wealth but one whose gold could not assure him happiness or ultimate
success.
- Some Lydian gold has come to light. The Princeton expedition found a vase
full of gold coins. Looters seized gold and silver jewelry and bronze
objects from tombs near the Turkish city of Usak. The so-called Lydian
Hoard showed up on the international market and much of it was legitimately
acquired through gifts by the Metropolitan Museum in Manhattan. In 1993, the museum
agreed to give the material back to the Turkish government.
Christian & Jewish History of Sardis:
- Antiochus III in 214 B.C. relocated 2,000 Jewish families from greater
Babylon to the provinces of Phrygia and Lydia, where Sardis was the capital city.
By the end of the 1st century, a large, wealthy and influential Jewish
community was well established in Sardis, which produced the largest ancient synagogue
outside of Israel.
- The historian Josephus records two ancient documents concerning the earlier
history of this Jewish group. In one, a Roman official writes a letter to the
city of Sardis (in about 49 B.C.), acknowledging the Jews’ right
to gather together “in accordance with their native laws” and to have
“a place of their own”. A second related decree by the governing
bodies (the council and the people) of Sardis confirms this picture of the
Jews as a recognized group within the city. In this document, the
people of Sardis decided “that a place be given them [the Jews] in which
they may gather together with their wives and children and offer their ancestral
prayers and sacrifices to God.” The place was to be “set
apart by the magistrates for them” and the “market-officials”
were “charged with the duty” of ensuring the availability
of (kosher) food for the community’s meals. So, this Jewish association
was already considered part of the life of the city at an early point but continued
to maintain its distinctive Jewish practices and identity. The archeological
evidence of the synagogue in later centuries confirms the fact that these
Jews continued to feel at home within the city in later years, despite the peculiarity
of their devotion to one God -in a polytheistic society.
- The largest synagogue ever discovered in the ancient world was
in Sardis - seating about 1,000 people. This synagogue boasts
incredible
beauty including mosaic floors. There were 7 Hebrew and more
than 80 Greek inscriptions found on its impressive floors. These
inscriptions demonstrate the great wealth and strength to be found in
the city within the Jewish community at this time.
- Most likely, many if not most of the church members were of Jewish descent.
- About 161 A.D., Melitus, the bishop of Sardis, wrote to Marcus Aurelius (Roman
Emperor from 161 to 180 A.D.), begging him "not overlook us in the midst of such
lawless plundering by the mob."
- A small Christian church maintained an existence in Sardis until at least the
15th century.
Sardis in the Scriptures besides Revelation:
- Sardis was the ancient capital of the kingdom of Lydia and referred to as Sepharad
in Obadiah 1:20 KJV: And the captivity of this host of the
children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath;
and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess
the cities of the south.).
(1) "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Sardis.
This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven
stars: "I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation
for being alive -- but YOU ARE DEAD.
- There is a marked change in the message to the church at Sardis. With the previous
churches, He has started with words of praise. Here, He started with words
of condemnation. No praise for the Sardis church as a whole.
- Craig S. Keener, Revelation, pp. 142-43: "That no mention of
persecution against Christians is mentioned in such a city is significant
… Jesus’ followers seem to have coexisted peacefully with
the synagogue community, and therefore likely coexisted peacefully with the city
establishment as a whole. Lacking the world’s opposition, they
may have grown comfortable in their relationship with the world”.
- Bible scholar Leon Morris sums up the trouble with the church in Sardis: "Why
did both Jews and Romans leave this church undisturbed, unlike
some of its neighbors? The answer may well be its lack of aggressive and positive
Christianity. Content with mediocrity, it was too innocuous
to be worth persecuting."
- The things you do:
- Christ notes He's aware of their works, and dismisses them as dead
works - of no real value.
- Reputation for being alive:
- By 95 A.D., Sardis had significantly declined in influence.
For a time, it had been considered by many to be the greatest Greek city of
all. But by 95 A.D., the city’s reputation as a great and powerful
city exceeded the reality.
- This may be a reference to the city having been destroyed (died) by earthquake
and rebuilt.
- What this church shows is a mere façade - just a
veneer, a fake and a forgery that looked good at a distance
but not in reality or close up. This applied to the Christians in the city too,
except for a few. Remember, these are small home churches!
- 2 Timothy 3:5: They will act as if they are religious,
but they will reject the power that could make them godly.
You must stay away from people like that.
- You are dead:
- G.B. Caird calls Sardis “the perfect model of inoffensive Christianity”
and “a picture of nominal Christianity, outwardly prosperous,
busy with the externals of religious activity, but devoid of spiritual
life and power” - (A Commentary on the Revelation of
St. John the Divine).
- The church was Christian in name only - like so many churches,
main-line denominations and church members today.
- Barclay observes that a church is in danger of death when it begins
to worship its own past…when it is more concerned with
forms and rituals than with life…when it loves systems
more than it loves Jesus Christ…when it is more concerned
with material than spiritual things.
- The Church of Sardis represents the mainline denominations of today
- relying on their status, what they consider to be "good works", their community
service, their past reputation, their political correctness, busy with the externals
of religious activity.
- They are not even aware of their true condition - zombies - the walking
dead!
- Almost all liberal churches today started as evangelical churches.
Is your church.
- You are dead meant that spiritual life, faith in Christ and growth
in Him were all absent.
- Matthew 23:27: "How terrible it will be for you teachers
of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites!
You are like whitewashed tombs -- beautiful on the outside but filled
on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity.
- Personal application:
- Jesus wants us to hold firmly to our faith so it matures, continuing
to grow and be used. Refusal to live the life of faith creates
complacency. If we are not growing, we are dying, or perhaps are already
dead.
- In many of the same ways, Christians today too must avoid complacency
and be vigilant to avoid becoming spiritually lazy
or dead (of no use to Christ).
(2) Now wake up! Strengthen what little remains,
for even
what
is left is at the point of death. Your deeds are far from right
in the
sight of God.
- Wake up:
- The word translated "wake up" means "become watching"
or "be constantly alert". What this body
of believers needed to do was to stop playing church, stop putting on
a false religious front and begin to watch for the return of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Complacency is the opposite of being watchful.
The first thing Sardis needs to do is stop being complacent and be on
a state of alert. The ancient city of Sardis was supposed to be an
impregnable fortress that was taken twice because the city was complacent
in its security once in 546 B.C. and 218 B.C. Their sentry guards were
sound asleep both times confident they were safe while the
enemy was sneaking in a way that was "impregnable".
- Unlike several of the other messages, no mention is made of any external
opponents; no false apostles, false prophets, Nicolaitans, Balaam,
persecution, Devil, “synagogue of Satan” or “throne of Satan.”
The problem at Sardis was internal.
- Look at some of the great cathedrals in England today on Sunday morning -
nearly or even completely empty - but the mosques are full! Why? They are sound
asleep or even dead! Unfortunately, there are thousands of churches like that
around the world today. It is what gives non-Christians such a negative impression
of Christian faith. They see the profession, they hear the wonderful words,
but there is no life in them - just a building full of hypocrites.
- Dr. William Barclay has said, "A church is in danger of death when it begins
to worship its own past; when it is more concerned with forms
than with life; when it loves systems more than it loves Jesus;
when it is more concerned with material than it is with spiritual things."
- This indicates a church made up of people who outwardly professed
Christ -- probably many of them thought of themselves as believers
-- but who actually possessed no spiritual life. They were
Christians in name only. A contemporary poet has described
churches like this in these words:
- Outwardly splendid as of old,
- Inwardly lifeless, dead and cold.
- Her force and fire all spent and gone,
- Like the dead moon, she still shines on.
- Strengthen:
- This community of the living dead needed the resurrection power (dunamis)
of God to bring them back to life.
- Remains:
- What they started to do as Christians, was not finished or complete.
Their deeds, which appeared outwardly Christian, gained them the approval
of man, but not of God.
- Death:
- Characteristics of a Dead Church:
- Worship of past glories
- More of a tradition and ceremony than the word of God
- When it has more concern for material values than spiritual
realities
- When it has more concern for now than eternity
- Conforming to the world's standards
- Losing evangelistic and missionary fervor
- Deeds:
- Their works are declared to be imperfect, literally, “not fulfilled,”
that is, not achieving the full extent of the will of God.
Their works were short either in motive or in execution, and
they are exhorted to fill to the full the opportunity for service and testimony.
(3) Go back to what you heard and believed at first;
hold to it
firmly and turn to me again. Unless you do, I will come upon
you
suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.
- Believed at first:
- This implies they have already compromised their faith and
left behind some of the foundations.
- Turn to me again:
- Suddenly:
- The previous history of Sardis of sudden defeat and invasion should have warned
them. The spiritual history of the church was to correspond to the political
history of the city.
- Unexpected as a thief:
- Since no one can predict the time of Jesus' coming, those not living in constant
preparedness will not be caught off guard. If they do not repent
of their compromise with this age, Jesus will bring the church to an
end, perhaps similar to the threat of the removal of his lampstand
as in the letter to the church in Ephesus (Revelation 2:5). Of course, this
happened.
- When the Lord comes as a thief to a church made up of members who are not
believers, who have a name to live but have no spiritual life, they
will be left behind.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4: For you know quite well that
the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.
When people are saying, "All is well; everything is peaceful and secure," then
disaster will fall upon them as suddenly as a woman's birth
pains begin when her child is about to be born. And there will be no escape.
But you aren't in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and
you won't be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief.
(4) "Yet even in Sardis there are some who have not soiled
their
garments with evil deeds. They will walk with me in white,
for they are
worthy.
- Some:
- There is always a remnant that has not fallen to the complacency
at the church of Sardis - a faithful few like Elijah complaining
to God in the cave that he was the only one left but God telling him that there
were 7,000 who had not bent the knee to Baal. There's a remnant today
too who are faithful to God and His Word.
- Sardis must have repented - it had a Christian presence until the time of
the Mongol conqueror Tamerlane (1403 A.D.).
- Soiled:
- Pagan temples would not let worshipers in if they had on old or dirty clothes
because it was an insult to the god. This means we must seek to be our
best and pure for His glory; if not, we are insulting the real God
- Christ! Sin soils us.
- Walk with me:
- Walking with Him (having a close relationship with Him and being in His will)
should be the goal for every Christian. Jesus wants a personal relationship
with us.
(5) All who are victorious will be clothed
in
white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life,
but I will
announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.
- Clothed in White:
- The image of unsoiled garments suggests a pure, unsullied
commitment to their Christian calling, a refusal to be
compromised by
the lure of what the world has to offer. The color white in
Revelation represents purity and victory.
- White garments are always in Scripture a symbol of redemption.
In Revelation 7:14, we read of a great multitude of people
who come out of the great tribulation and who have "washed their robes in
the blood of the Lamb and made them white". Clearly, white garments
are a sign of being redeemed, being saved by the grace of God.
- Pre-occupied with ecclesiastical robes and garments and with people wearing
"Sunday-go-to-meeting" clothes, religion inevitably emphasizes the external
rather than the internal. Jesus is concerned that we be clothed internally
with His character.
- Never erase:
- This is a strong Double negative. When citizens died, their names would be
erased from the rolls of their city but God will never erase believers from
His rolls.
- Book of Life:
- Once our names are in His book and we are saved by His grace, we are secure
in our faith and in eternal security (Ex. 32:32-33; Psalm 69:28; Dan. 12:1;
Phil. 4:3; Rev. 13:8; 17:8; 20:12-15; 21:19, 27).
- The Book of Life includes the name of everyone ever born,
whether a believer or not (Psalm 139:16). The Lamb’s Book of
Life
only contains the names of those in the Church.
- Names can be blotted out of the Book of Life, but if
your name is
written in the Lamb’s Book of Life it can’t be blotted out of either.
- Like a city roster, the Book of Life contains the names of all
the people who are currently living. When a person dies, those who
have
claimed Jesus as Lord remain in this
book. All others are erased. Once our names are in His book and we
are saved by His grace, we are secure in our faith and in eternal
security.
- Exodus 32:32-33: But now, please forgive their sin
-- and if not, then blot me out of the record you are keeping."
The LORD replied to Moses, "I will blot out whoever has sinned
against me.
- Psalm 69:27-28: Pile their sins up high, and don't
let them go free. Erase their names from the Book of Life; don't
let them be counted among the righteous.
- Psalm 139:16: You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life
was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day
had passed.
- Daniel 12:1: "At that time Michael, the
archangel who stands guard over your nation, will arise. Then there
will be a time of anguish greater than any since nations first came
into existence. But at that time every one of your people whose
name is written in the book will be rescued.
- Philippians 4:3: And I ask you, my true teammate, to
help these women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the
Good News. And they worked with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose
names are written in the Book of Life.
- Revelation 13:8: And all the people who belong
to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names
were not written in the Book of Life, which belongs to the Lamb who
was killed before the world was made.
- Revelation 17:8: The beast you saw was alive but isn't now. And
yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction.
And the people who belong to this world, whose names were not written in
the Book of Life from before the world began, will be amazed at the reappearance
of this beast who had died.
- Revelation 20:12-15: I saw the dead, both great and
small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including
the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the things written
in the books, according to what they had done. The sea gave up the dead
in it, and death and the grave gave up the dead in them. They were all judged
according to their deeds. And death and the grave were thrown into the
lake of fire. This is the second death -- the lake of fire. And anyone
whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake
of fire.
- Revelation 21:27: Nothing evil will be allowed to
enter -- no one who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty -- but only
those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
(6) Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit
and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
PHILADELPHIA the CHURCH of BROTHERLY
LOVE
Archeology of Philadelphia:
Column from the 6th century cathedral church of St John from the ruins of Philadelphia.
Image from www.arcimaging.org/GeisslerRex/GeisslerRex1.html
- The main archaeological attraction of ancient Philadelphia are the ruins
of the Basilica of St. John, a 6th-century Byzantine church. The three
squat, red-brick columns which once supported the dome of the church still stand
over 1000 years later, but where is the church? There is no Christian
presence in modern-day Alaşehir (Philadelphia). Alaşehir
means "city of Allah"!
- The outer wall of the town is still standing, with the exception
of a few small portions of which only traces remain. On the brow of the
hill, about 400 ft. above the town, were the
acropolis (market place), a small theater and stadium. Only the ruins
of
a single small temple are now visible.
- There have been very few excavations in Philadelphia. In the Manisa Museum in
Turkey are statues of various deities that have been discovered by the locals
while putting in foundations for their houses or plowing fields. Some of the deities
represented are Dionysis, the god of wine and merrymaking; Demeter,
the goddess of agriculture; Helios, the sun god. The coins add a few more
deities.
Roman Status of Philadelphia:
- Lacking an heir, Attalus III Philometer, the last of the Attalid kings of Pergamum,
bequeathed his kingdom, including Philadelphia, to his Roman allies when
he died in 133 B.C.
- Philadelphia was in the administrative district of Sardis.
In 17 A.D., the city suffered badly in an earthquake and, according to Tacitus,
the Roman emperor Tiberius (emperor from 14 A.D. to 37 A.D.)
relieved it of having to pay taxes. In response, the city granted honors to Tiberius.
Evidence from coins reveals that Caligula (emperor 37 A.D. to
41 A.D.) helped the city. Under Caracalla (emperor 198 to 217
A.D.) , Philadelphia housed an imperial cult; its coins bore
the word Neokoron (literally, "temple-sweeper" - caretaker of
the temple).
Geography of Philadelphia:
- Philadelphia, E. S. E. of Sardis, about 125-150 miles from
the coast, lies in a valley at the
foot of a mountainous
plateau in west central Turkey.
- The area around Philadelphia is geologically unstable, making it prone
to earthquakes.
Paganism in Philadelphia:
- Philadelphia was known as "Little Athens" because of the
temples and
other public buildings that were so grand.
- Because Philadelphia had vast vineyards, they worshipped
Bacchus
and
Dionysus.
Secular History of Philadelphia:
- Philadelphia (present-day Alaşehir) was established in 189 B.C. by King
Eumenes II of Pergamum (197-160 B.C.). Eumenes II named the city for the love
of his brother, who would be his successor, Attalus II (159-138 B.C.), whose loyalty
earned him the nickname, "Philadelphos", literally meaning "one who loves
his brother".
- Philadelphia was situated where the borders of Mysia, Lydia and Phrygia
met. It was a border town. But it was not as a garrison town that Philadelphia
was founded, for there was little danger there. It was founded with the deliberate
intention that it might be a missionary of Greek culture and the Greek
language to Lydia and Phrygia; so by 19 A.D. the Lydians had forgotten their own
Lydian language and adopted not only Greek language but Greek customs.
- By the time of the apostles, it was a typical Greek colony.
This was the outpost of Greek culture in a truly Asiatic atmosphere.
- Philadelphia had a world-renown medical center. Its medical
school employed famous doctors (we know this from circulating coins)
and they produced an eye salve from Phrygian powder that was in great
demand across the empire.
- Its market was second to none. The city’s banking assets
were so noteworthy that Cicero cashed huge bank drafts there.
Only Rome was a more successful financial center. It was one
of the wealthiest cities in the world. After a great earthquake in 60
A.D., which destroyed it, the people refused imperial help in rebuilding the city
and chose, rather, to do it with their own money.
Christian History of Philadelphia:
- In the beginning of the Christian era, there appear to have been there a synagogue
of Hellenizing Jews and a Christian church.
- At the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D., the church
of Philadelphia was represented. Philadelphia remained a major center
of Byzantine feudal power until the end of 14th century, when it was finally captured
by the Ottomans. It was a remarkable feat for Philadelphia to have retained
its independence from the surrounding Turks for so long, and it follows that
the apostolic church here was the strongest of the Seven Churches. Following
the devastation by Tamerlane in early 15th century, many Christians fled. In 1671,
a traveler reported that the Church of St John had been converted into
mosque, only four churches survived. The church in Philadelphia continued
to have martyrs. In 1826, the city had 3000 Turks and 300 Greek families.
There were then still 25 churches remaining. One estimate claimed that
in the 19th century there were 1000-2000 Christians in Philadelphia. There
has been no Christian living in Alaşehir (new name for Philadelphia) since
1922.
Scripture verses related to Philadelphia:
- References to Philadelphia in the first and third chapters of the Book of Revelation
are the only Biblical references to this city.
(7) "Write this letter to the angel of the church in
Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and
true. He
is the one who has the key of David. He opens doors, and no one can
shut them; he shuts doors, and no one can open them.
- Philadelphia shares with Smyrna the distinction of receiving
nothing but praise from Christ.
- Holy:
- In rebuilding Philadelphia after the earthquake in 17 A.D., the Romans built
a large temple for emperor worship. On the temple was the inscription
referring to the emperor as “the son of the holy one” or “son
of the holy.” Jesus is saying He is the only holy and true God.
- True:
- This word that is translated into the English word for “true”
comes from a Greek word, which literally means “what is genuine”
or “what is real.” He is not a “false”
Christ - and there had been many false “Christs,” and continue
to be many after His time.
- John 14:6: Jesus told him, "I am the way, the
truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
- Revelation 19:11: Then I saw heaven opened, and a white
horse was standing there. And the one sitting on the horse was named
Faithful and True. For he judges fairly and then goes to war.
- Revelation 6:10: They called loudly to the Lord and said,
"O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before
you judge the people who belong to this world for what they have done to us?
When will you avenge our blood against these people?"
- Key of David:
- Jesus uses this image to encourage them, that even though they have been excluded
from the synagogue and from their friends and family, they are not excluded
from Him!
- This statement of Jesus is a direct reference back to Eliakim in Isaiah
22:22, "I will give him the key to the house of David
-- the highest position in the royal court. He will open doors,
and no one will be able to shut them; he will close doors,
and no one will be able to open them."
- David here is talking about what he is going to give to his faithful servant,
but it is recognized almost universally as a Messianic prophecy.
- Revelation 22:16: "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give
you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and
the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star."
- “The immediate background of the phrase was the claim of the Jews in
Philadelphia that they were the true people of God who held the key to the Kingdom
of God. John contradicts this claim by asserting that the key to the kingdom
which had belonged to Israel really belongs to Jesus as the Davidic Messiah
(5:5; 22:16) and had been forfeited by Israel because she had rejected her Messiah”
(A Commentary on the Revelation of John).
- Opens doors:
- Institutional churches like the Roman church want to be in control of who
goes in and who goes out, of who may enter and who will exit by excommunication.
They want to have the authority to invite or debar, to determine who is in and
who is out. Jesus asserts that He is the only One who has authority
over the Kingdom of God.
- Hebrews 10:19-20: And so, dear brothers and sisters,
we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the
blood of Jesus. This is the new, life-giving way that Christ has opened
up for us through the sacred curtain, by means of his death for us.
(8) "I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door
for
you that no one can shut. You have little strength, yet you
obeyed my
word and did not deny me.
- Barnhouse: “The church of Philadelphia is commended for keeping the Word
of the Lord and not denying His Name. Success in Christian work is not to be measured
by any other standard of achievement. It is not rise in ecclesiastical position.
It is not the number of new buildings which have been built through a man’s
ministry. It is not the crowds that flock to listen to any human voice. All of
these things are frequently used as yardsticks of success, but they are earthly
and not heavenly measures.”
- Opened a door:
- Verse 8 continues with this analogy of the “open door.” We see
a connection here: He has the “key of David;” He can open
the door; He can shut the door. No one else can do that. Now, what is the connection
here with what He mentions in verse 8 as saying, “I have opened a
door for ”? In this context in verse 8, it has to
do more than likely with “opportunities.” An open door represents
an opportunity for something to happen, or for someone to do something.
In the Scriptures, it is a symbol of new and promising mission work, like
the open door that was presented to Paul in Troas and in Ephesus:
- Acts 14:27: Upon arriving in Antioch, they called the
church together and reported about their trip, telling all that God had done
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles,
too.
- 1 Corinthians 16:8-9: In the meantime, I will be staying
here at Ephesus until the Festival of Pentecost, for there is a
wide-open door for a great work here, and many people are responding.
But there are many who oppose me.
- Little strength (power):
- Power comes from the Holy Spirit, and its purpose is that
we would be Christ's witnesses. The power can be manifested
in signs and wonders (Acts 6:8; Romans 15:19), hope (Romans 15:13), inner strength
(Ephesians 3:16), preaching (1 Thessalonians 1:5), good works (2 Thessalonians
1:11) and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), but it is always for the purpose
of us being witnesses, representatives, ambassadors of Jesus Christ on this
earth.
- In the eyes of the world, this church was of no significance. It was
small. It didn't have much wealth. It had little power. It was insignificant.
But it was faithful to the Lord, even in the face of persecution.
- 2 Corinthians 12:7-10: even though I have received
wonderful revelations from God. But to keep me from getting puffed up, I was
given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me
from getting proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.
Each time he said, "My gracious favor is all you need. My power works
best in your weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my
weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me.
Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content
with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.
- All power that belongs to God is accessible to the one who by faith and consecration
avails himself of it. Notice that they have a little strength or power. In Ephesians
1:15-16 Paul says, "Ever since I first heard of your strong
faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for Christians everywhere, I
have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,"
His prayer is in Ephesians 17-21: "asking God, the glorious
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding,
so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that
your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful
future he has promised to those he called. I want you to realize what a rich
and glorious inheritance he has given to his people. I pray that you will begin
to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe
him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated
him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms.
Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else
in this world or in the world to come." Paul says, I want you to know power
(dunamis - resurrection power) that you can take hold
of, the power that raised Christ from the dead, the power that caused Him to
ascend on high and sit at the right hand of the throne of God. That DUNAMIS
power is yours!
- They were probably a small group of Christians meeting in a home
who relied on Christ's strength to be exercised in their weakness. Religion
today looks down their noses in disdain at a small congregation of Christians
which focuses on the sufficiency of Jesus Christ in their lives. They
are regarded as unsuccessful, having little power or impact upon society. But,
if they have entered through the door of the Person and work of Jesus Christ
into the kingdom of God, then no one can shut them out despite the worldly
expectations of religion.
(9) Look! I will force those who belong to Satan --
those liars
who say they are Jews but are not -- to come and bow down at your
feet.
They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love.
- Those who belong to Satan (synagogue of Satan):
- Christians of the first century lived in an uneasy relationship with Judaism.
Most Jewish Christians probably attended the synagogue, took part in ritual
worship and used the Hebrew Scriptures as their Bible. They were called apostate
Jews by their own relatives - as they are today. Non-Christian Jews accused
Christians of being usurpers. They insisted that Jews and not Christians had
the open door to God’s presence.
- They were literal Jews, physical descendants of Abraham, but in claiming to
be Jews they were also claiming to be God’s people, religious guides to
the truth, and the means and access to God. Paul comments on what constitutes
a true child of Abraham in Romans 9:6-8 where he makes the clear distinction
between racial Israel and regenerate Israel. They were not children
of God regardless of their claims and religiosity. They had rejected
God’s Son and revelation of God, they were of their father
the Devil, as Christ plainly told them. To be a true Jew in the biblical
sense, one had to have the hope and faith of Abraham. Abraham was the possessor
of faith in the promises of God to him and faith in the coming Messiah.
- Romans 9:6-8: Well then, has God failed to fulfill
his promise to the Jews? No, for not everyone born into a Jewish family
is truly a Jew! Just the fact that they are descendants of Abraham
doesn't make them truly Abraham's children. For the Scriptures say, "Isaac
is the son through whom your descendants will be counted," though Abraham
had other children, too. This means that Abraham's physical descendants are
not necessarily children of God. It is the children of the promise
who are considered to be Abraham's children.
- This is a reference to Jewish persecutors of the church.
In the Old Testament, the Jews were called the synagogue of the Lord, but because
of their persecution of Christians here in Philadelphia, as well as their refusal
to own Jesus as their Messiah, Christ refers to them here as the synagogue
of Satan. We are reminded of the words of Paul in Romans 2:28,
where he tells us that a true Jew is one who is a Jew inwardly and not
just outwardly.
- Such a hostile reference as this only hints at the great persecution
these Jews must have brought against the Christians. They were a persecuted
church.
- Ignatius mentioned Judaizing Gentiles in Philadelphia a few
decades later (To the Philadelphians 6:1).
- They opposed the church and persecuted the church and tried to stop
its progress and growth. Who were they working for? Certainly not for
the Lord! They were instruments of Satan. Instead of the people
of God, they have become the people of Satan. They think they are being pleasing
to God, but in reality, they are the servants of Satan.
- George Eldon Ladd - A Commentary on the Revelation of John, p. 59:
“The immediate background of the phrase was the claim of the Jews in Philadelphia
that they were the true people of God who held the key to the Kingdom of God.
John contradicts this claim by asserting that the key to the kingdom which had
belonged to Israel really belongs to Jesus as the Davidic messiah (5:5; 22:16)
and had been forfeited by Israel because she had rejected her Messiah”.
- This is similar to the time when Jesus told the Jewish leaders who were claiming
that they were of their father, Abraham, "you are the children of
your father the Devil" (John 8:44).
(10) "Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I
will
protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the
whole world to test those who belong to this world.
- Time of testing:
- The greatest persecution is brought against the churches that are most faithful!
Faithful churches -- such as Smyrna and Philadelphia -- are persecuted
churches. And these persecutions are only harbingers of the persecution
that is yet to come.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10: For God decided to save us through
our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. He
died for us so that we can live with him forever, whether we are dead or alive
at the time of his return.
- Protect you from:
- The Greek words for “protect you from” are tērēsō
ek (τηρήσω ἐκ) meaning
“keep out of" per Strong's. There are four other
ways this could have been stated if John wanted to imply that church age believers
would be in the Tribulation, but none of them were used:
- tērēsō en = to keep in. This would be a promise
of preservation in the Tribulation.
- tērēsō dia = to keep through. This would be a promise
to keep us through the Tribulation.
- exaireó = to take out, or sózó ek = to save out. This
could mean that believers would go into the Tribulation and then be taken
out of the Tribulation.
- aphaireó = to take from. This would mean that believers would go
into the Tribulation and then be taken out of the Tribulation.
- Rather than any of the above, John chose to use tērēsō
ek, which means “to keep out.”
This is a promise that believers will never get into the Tribulation:
Above image from: https://bible.org/seriespage/message-philadelphia-rev-37-13
- The whole world:
- The point that Revelation 3:10 makes is this trial will not be local
in nature but involves the whole world, oikoumené
(οἰκουμένη) meaning “inhabited
earth”.
(11) Look, I am coming quickly. Hold on to what
you have, so
that no one will take away your crown.
- Coming quickly:
- 1 Corinthians 15:52: It will happen in a moment, in
the blinking of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the
trumpet sounds, the Christians who have died will be raised with transformed
bodies. And then we who are living will be transformed so that we will never
die.
- Take away your crown:
- This is the stephanos crown of victory. Jesus encourages
His saints to finish their course with victory.
- Swete states, “‘The picture is not that of a thief snatching
away what is feebly held, but rather of a competitor receiving a
prize which has been forfeited.’”
- It can also refer to rewards lost because of the evil influences
that we might allow to hinder us in our race.
(12) All who are victorious will become
pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never
have to leave it. And I will write my God's name on
them, and they will be citizens in the city of my God
-- the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God.
And they will have my new name inscribed upon them.
- Pillars:
- Verse 12 seems to use the fear of earthquakes to make the
point that He will make the one who is victorious (that is, the authentic, faithful
Christian) “a pillar in the temple of My God” (secure,
immovable, indestructible and permanently in place). There is a contrast
that would have been obvious to the Philadelphian Christians. All the
pillars in the magnificent temple to Caesar in Philadelphia had fallen in the
earthquake of 17 A.D., and the numerous tremors regularly toppled pillars and
walls in the city every generation or so. But the figurative “temple
of My God” stands strong and immovable, so that the victor “never
have to leave it” (refers to the people living in small dwellings
outside the city to avoid being crushed in an earthquake).
- Temple of my God:
- 1 Corinthians 3:16: Don't you realize that all
of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives
in you?
- 2 Corinthians 6:16: And what union can there be between
God's temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.
As God said: "I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
- Ephesians 2:20-22: We are his house,
built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone
is Christ Jesus himself. We who believe are carefully joined together, becoming
a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also joined
together as part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.
- I Peter 2:5: And now God is building you, as
living stones, into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are God's
holy priests, who offer the spiritual sacrifices that please him because of
Jesus Christ.
- Revelation 7:15: That is why they are standing in front
of the throne of God, serving him day and night in his Temple.
And he who sits on the throne will live among them and shelter them.
- Revelation 21:22: No temple could be
seen in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
- Never have to leave it:
- Barclay: “The citizens of Philadelphia lived an unsettled and tremulous
life. Whenever the earthquake tremors came, and they came often, the
people of Philadelphia fled from the city out into the open country, to escape
the falling masonry and the flying stones which accompanied a severe
earthquake shock. Then, when the earth was quiet again, they returned. In
their fear, the people of Philadelphia were always going out and coming in;
they were always fleeing from the city and then returning to it.”
- Write my name on them:
- Barclay: “Philadelphia honored its illustrious sons by putting
their names on the pillars of its temples, so that all who came to
worship might see and remember."
- Isaiah 56:5: I will give them -- in my house,
within my walls -- a memorial and a name far greater
than the honor they would have received by having sons and daughters. For the
name I give them is an everlasting one. It will never disappear!
(13) Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit
and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
- Apart from that constant spiritual communion and walk with Jesus, we cannot
experience all that God has for us in Jesus Christ.
LAODICEA the LUKEWARM CHURCH of COMPROMISE
Archeology of Laodicea:
Above, Laodicea's theater (15,000 seats). Image from http://welcometohosanna.com/REVELATION/Laodicea.html
The fact that the city had two theaters is an indication of its
prosperity.
The seats were engraved with their owner's names.
Above, in recent years, Laodicea's main street has been partially restored. Beneath
the road is a sewer system for carrying dirty water from homes
and businesses.
Image from http://thebiblicalworld.blogspot.com/2012/06/being-jewish-in-sardis-and-lukewarm-in.html
Above image of a temple in Laodicea from http://thebiblicalworld.blogspot.com/2012/06/being-jewish-in-sardis-and-lukewarm-in.html- While the city was finally abandoned because of earthquakes, the very
impressive ruins of two Roman theaters, a large stadium and three early Christian
churches are still there.
- As you stand in the ruins of Laodicea, you can look around at the nearby hills
and see where Colossae is located and also Hieropolis, where there are hot springs.
The greatest ruins are not in Colossae or Laodicea but in Hieropolis.
- The whole area of the ancient city is covered with ruined structures. The sites
of several temples, with bases of columns can be seen. There
is a street within and without the city, flanked by ruins of a colonnade
and numerous pedestals. The remains of the city's stadium and
a bathhouse are on the south side.
- The remains of two theaters, one Greek and one Roman, are on
the northeastern slope of the plateau. A large stadium which also served
as an amphitheater, dedicated by a wealthy citizen to the Roman emperor
Vespasian in 79 A.D., can be found on the opposite end of the plateau. The stadium
was used for both athletic contests and gladiatorial shows.
- During excavations, a temple dedicated to the weaver goddess Athena
from the second century A.D. was found in the largest temple area.
- The triple-arched Gate to Ephesus flanked by towers was devoted to the
Emperor Domition (81-96 A.D.). On the south-west side, stand a number
of buildings built under Vespasian (69-79 A.D.). An aqueduct bringing water into
the city ended in a 16 foot tall water tower which distributed water throughout
the city.
- Archaeology teams have unearthed a 1500-year-old cloth-dyeing center
and a large villa.
- The Turks call the site of Laodicea Eski Hisar, or "old castle."
Roman Status of Laodicea:
- Laodicea was known as a primary hub for the Roman aqueduct system.
- In 190 B.C., Laodicea came under the rule of Pergamum, then after
133 B.C., it was controlled by Rome and made a free city.
- Cicero, the famous Roman orator and statesman, served as governor of the province,
residing mostly in Laodicea.
Geography of Laodicea:
- Laodicea is located in the Lycus River Valley of western Asia
Minor, a primary trade route between the cultures of the West and
East.
- Laodicea was about forty miles east and inland from Ephesus. Out of the Oriental
East, the great camel caravans came down through the
Gate of Phrygia and through Laodicea. This road came out of the East
and went to Ephesus, then to Miletus (where Paul stopped on his way to Jerusalem),
and also up to Smyrna.
Idolatry in Laodicea:
- Between Laodicea and the "Gate of Phrygia", lay a famous temple,
the home of the Phrygian god Men Karou - the original god of
the valley. The temple was the very center of all society, administration,
trade and religion. A market was held under the protection of his sacred
name.
- Zeus was the object of worship in Laodicea. The city
was
originally known as Diospolis ("the City of Zeus").
- Archaeologists discovered a life-sized statue of the goddess
Isis
in the ancient nymphaeum, or monumental fountain.
- The city minted its own coins, the inscriptions of which show evidence of the
worship of Zeus, Æsculapius, Apollo and the emperors.
Secular History of Laodicea:
- Laodicea was founded by King Antiochus II Theos of Syria in
260 B.C. and named after his wife Laodice.
- An ancient writer recorded that the city of approximately 120,000 people.
- The early population of the city probably consisted of Roman colonizers,
the original Phrygians, Jews and immigrant Syrian settlers.
Water supply:
- The city services included an aqueduct system which offered
a reliable water supply carried in from the south. The water
supply was rich in calcium and the calcium would build up over
time and clog the piping. The city designers overcame this by installing surface
access ports which were used to periodically clean out the piping.
Wealth:
- Laodicea was a place of great wealth, of commerce
and of Greek culture with extensive banking operations.
- Laodicea was known for its soft black wool that was exported
throughout the Roman world; its healing eye salve; and its banking.
- Two of the doctors from Laodicea were so famous that their
names appear on the coins of the city (Zeuxis and Alexander Philalethes).
- As the banking center of Asia, it was the richest and
most powerful of the seven cities. Many large, beautiful homes
were built in this city, the ruins of which are still visible, and probably some
of them were owned by Christians.
- Cicero, a Roman statesman and philosopher, wrote of cashing his treasury
bills of exchange in Laodicea
- There was a famous medical school in Laodicea apparently associated
with Aesculapius, the Greek god of healing. This medical school had developed
a "Phrygian powder" which was used as an salve far the ears and the eyes.
This salve was shipped all over the Roman Empire.
Earthquakes:
- Tacitus records a major quake around 61 A.D. He recorded that
Laodicea was destroyed in the quake. It was
then rebuilt, without using funds offered by the Roman government.
This is just another sign of the massive wealth of the people of Laodicea.
- Note that Jesus wrote to Laodicea, but Colossae was not mentioned among
the letters of Revelation. By this time, Colossae in large part
no longer existed. Paul did not refer to this catastrophic event;
thus, scholars believe Paul had either not yet heard the news, or that his
letters to Colossians and Philemon predated the quake.
Jewish History of Laodicea:
- Antiochus the Great transported 2,000 Jewish families to Phrygia from
Babylonia. Many of Laodicea's inhabitants were Jews,
and Cicero records that the Roman governor Flaccus confiscated
20 pounds of gold which was being sent annually to Jerusalem
for the Temple.
- In nearby Hierapolis, "The Congregation of the Jews"
was empowered to prosecute persons who had violated the sanctity of a Jewish tomb,
and to receive fines from them on conviction; and it had its own public
office, "the Archives of the Jews," in which copies of legal
documents executed by or for Jews were deposited.
- 7,000 adult Jewish males had been granted the right to preserve their
religious customs in Laodicea. This may indicate that some 20,000
or so Jewish men, women, and children lived in Laodicea.
- The Jewish Talmud rebuked the Laodiceans for living a life of ease and pleasure.
Christian History of Laodicea:
- Paul indicates a close relationship between the churches
in Laodicea and Colossae. The church in Laodicea was probably
founded by Epaphras from Colossae and the faithful of Laodicea met in the home
of Nympha (Colossians 4:15). Laodicea is mentioned four times
in Paul's epistle to the Colossians (Colossians 2:1; 4:13,15,16). In
writing to the Colossians, Paul sends greetings to them through a Laodicean named
Nymphas and the church at her house (Colossians
4:15). He additionally greets Archippus, who may also be from
Laodicea (4:17), and he instructs the Colossians to exchange his letter with one
he has written to the Laodiceans (4:16).
- John McRay, Archaeology And The New Testament, p. 247: "An inscription
erected by a freed slave from Laodicea was dedicated to Marcus
Sestius Philemon. It will be recalled that a Philemon who owned
the slave Onesimus (Philemon 10) was a leader in the church of
Colossae. We cannot identify this Philemon with the slaveholder to whom Paul wrote,
but the coincidence of the inscription from the same area is intriguing, especially
since it refers to the manumission of a slave."
- The church of Laodicea suffered as much as the other churches of Asia Minor
from the persecutions of the 2nd to 4th century. It was represented
at the Third Ecumenical Council in Ephesus in 431 A.D.
- A church in Laodicea served as the meeting place for the Council of
Laodicea in 363-364 A.D. This council is credited with setting
the books of both the Old and New Testaments during that time. The Council
included all of the current books of the Old Testament but also included the Book
of Baruch as well as the Epistle of Jeremiah which are not in the modern day Bible.
The New Testament contained all of the current books with the exception of the
Book of Revelation which was omitted by the council.
- Between 1092 and 1110 A.D., the city was severely damaged and repeatedly
sacked by the Turks, and the Christian population began to leave the
city after a massacre in 1161.
(14) "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea.
This is the message from the one who is the Amen -- the faithful
and
true witness, the ruler of God's creation:
- Angel:
- The angel of the Laodicean church is probably Archippus
whom Paul 30 years before had warned to be diligent in fulfilling his
ministry (Colossians 4:17: And say to Archippus, "Be
sure to carry out the work the Lord gave you.").
- Church:
- This is the last instance of this word until Revelation 22:16!
- Laodicea:
- Colossians 4:16: After you have read this letter,
pass it on to the church at Laodicea so they can read it, too.
And you should read the letter I wrote to them.
(15) "I know all the things you do, that you are neither
hot nor
cold. I wish you were one or the other!
- Hot nor cold:
- The church at Sardis was a cold church, dead, lifeless church. The church
at Philadelphia was hot, alive and vital. But here in Laodicea was a church
that was neither hot nor cold. It is merely lukewarm.
- There were some people who were regenerated and saved, but the majority of
them were not. They came together more as a social group.
- Hot:
- The Greek word used here for "hot" is "zestos ζεστός,"
from which we derive our word "zest." It means someone that is boiling hot,
or zealous.
- Standing on the small hill of Laodicea, you can visibly see the white
travertine terrace of Hierapolis. The spring water of Hierapolis
is very hot and is drinkable even though it contains high calcium bicarbonate
content. Its water was considered medicinal.
- Hierapolis is famous even today for its hot springs which
helps explain Jesus' "neither cold nor hot" remarks
about Laodicea, which was sandwiched approximately between its two sister
cities (Colossae=cold, Hierapolis=hot).
Travertine terraces of carbonate minerals from the hot springs in Hierapolis.
Image from http://placestodiefor.blogspot.com/2012/06/pamukkale-limestone-terraces.html
- Cold:
- The ‘cold’ water probably referred to that cold water
of Colosse – famous for the cool water from the melting snow.
(16) But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit
you out
of my mouth!
- Lukewarm water:
- The city of Laodicea had everything going for it except one thing …
it had a TERRIBLE water supply. There are no traces of wells
or natural sources of water within the walls of the city. It was so bad that
it built aqueducts from Colossae (10 miles away) and Hierapolis (6 miles
away) so it could have water.
- This metaphor was almost certainly derived from John’s acquaintance
with the water supply to Laodicea. Water supply to Laodicea came from
the Hierapolis hot springs but were lukewarm
by the time it reached Laodicea. Today, you can see excavated
water pipes in Laodicea clogged by the deposits of limestone.
- In light of the water for which the cities of Hierapolis, Colosse and Laodicea
were known, the apostle John might have been saying, "If you were hot,
like the springs of Hierapolis, you'd bring healing, restoration
and comfort to people who suffer. If you were cold, like the
water in Colosse, you'd refresh and encourage people who are
hurting. Instead, you are lukewarm. You don't do anyone any
good and you make me sick, just like your own water." So, he challenged
Christians then and today to be hot and cold in our daily lives, to bring
people the healing, caring, encouraging touch of Jesus.
- 2 Timothy 3:5: They will act as if they are religious,
but they will reject the power that could make them godly.
You must stay away from people like that.
- Will:
- The word translated " will" is an absolute " will", not a "might".
- Spit you out:
- This is literally "vomit you out of my mouth!"
- Lukewarm water was used in the medical centers of Laodicea to induce
vomiting (emesai = 'vomit').
- Attempting to cater to everyone at the same time, they take
the "middle of the road" approach in order to appease
the majority. Jesus finds such dispassionate compromising to be nauseating
and repulsive. He rejects such and would rather "spit you out of My mouth".
(17) You say, 'I am rich. I have everything I want. I
don't
need a thing!' And you don't realize that you are wretched
and
miserable and poor and blind and naked.
- Rich ... I don't need a thing:
- Laodicea was the wealthiest of the seven cities.
- They equated earthly wealth with God’s blessing on them.
God warned Israel about this very same problem before they entered the Promised
Land. The wealth they would acquire would be a snare causing them to forget
the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8:12-14) Laodicea fell into this very same snare.
The snare of religion rather then relationship also trapped
those in this Church age who have ornate church buildings and a wealthy
membership. However, they compromised the message,
so they can be part of the world. This is what faces many churches
in the United States, which want to conform to the standards of the world and
water down doctrinal positions to be more accepting and in turn accepted by
the world.
- The church existed in a very affluent and quite self-sufficient
society. After the earthquake of 17 A.D., the Roman imperial government provided
aid to the cities of Asia Minor, including Laodicea. Yet, when Laodicea was
hit with another earthquake in 60 A.D. (or 64) they declined the offer of imperial
aid. Tacitus said, “Laodicea, one of the famous Asiatic cities, was laid
in ruins by an earthquake, but recovered by its own resources, without
assistance from ourselves” ( Annals 14:27; LCL 5: 151).
- Laodicea was well known in the ancient world for its wealth. Nelson's
Illustrated Bible Dictionary: "For example, in 62 B.C. Flaccus
seized the annual contribution of the Jews of Laodicea for Jerusalem amounting
to 20 pounds of gold".
- The prophet Hosea lamented that Ephraim, said "I am rich, and I've gotten
it all by myself!" (Hosea 12:8), and
the Lord was provoked to anger. Jesus had mentioned the rich man who said, "And
I'll sit back and say to myself, My friend, you have enough stored away
for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!'"
and God said, "You fool! You will die this very night.
Then who will get it all?" (Luke 12:19-20).
- The Laodiceans were self-righteous because they were trusting in what
their own hands could produce.
- The key measures of spiritual success in most churches are how many
people are attending on Sunday morning and whether the church
bank account is full. But these are not biblical standards
of success. Money is not a measure of God’s blessing nor is attendance.
If that were true, then Jeremiah the prophet would have been a great failure
because he was alone during his ministry. There were men who deserted the apostle
Paul for a number of reasons. The size of the crowd is not a Biblical standard
for success. If money is the measure of God’s blessing, then how do we
explain the situation that the apostle Paul endured? Look at how many churches
"brag" about the huge auditorium filled with thousands!
- I don't need a thing:
- John Piper: "The essence of lukewarmness is the statement, "I need nothing."
The lukewarm are spiritually self-satisfied."
- Miserable:
- The Greek word Eleeinos ἐλεεινός
means "to be pitied."
- Romans 7:24: Oh, what a miserable person
I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin?
- Blind and naked:
- They can't see their true condition - this is a blindness that is their own
fault.
- The city was well known for its school of ophthalmology.
- Naked:
- “Naked” is the Greek word gumnos from which
we get our word gymnasium. It meant (a) to be totally without clothes,
or (b) to be poorly clothed, dressed in rags. Though they were
rich and manufactured and wore expensive clothing, they were, spiritually speaking,
in pitiful condition.
- Its citizens wore expensive garments made of raven black wool harvested
from local sheep.
(18) I advise you to buy gold from me -- gold that has
been
purified by fire. Then you will be rich. And also buy white
garments so
you will not be shamed by your nakedness. And buy ointment for your
eyes so you will be able to see.
- Buy gold from me:
- Isaiah 55:1-3: "Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink
-- even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk
-- it's all free! Why spend your money on food that does not
give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen, and I will tell you where to get food that is good for the soul! "Come
to me with your ears wide open. Listen, for the life of your soul is at stake.
I am ready to make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the
mercies and unfailing love that I promised to David.
- Jesus is not talking about material gold or wealth but about the “true
riches” of Heaven, which is the riches of the glory of His inheritance
in the saints:
- Matthew 6:19-21: "Don't store up treasures
here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and
where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven,
where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe
from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts
will also be.
- Ephesians 1:18: I pray that your hearts will be flooded
with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he
has promised to those he called. I want you to realize what a rich
and glorious inheritance he has given to his people.
- 1 Peter 1:7: These trials are only to test
your faith, to show that it is strong and pure.
It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold -- and
your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your
faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it
will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus
Christ is revealed to the whole world.
- Gold:
- Being an important trade center, many in Laodicea became quite wealthy.
- White garments:
- White clothes stand for a changed character; they mark someone who
has taken his robes and washed them in the blood of the Lamb, as we will read
in Chapter 7.
- Revelation 19:7-8: Let us be glad and rejoice and honor
him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his
bride has prepared herself. She is permitted to wear the finest
white linen." (Fine linen represents the good deeds done by the people of God.)
- Laodicea had a flourishing clothing industry. A particular
breed of black sheep were raised around this area, and the glossy, black
wool was woven into special clothes that were sold all over the empire.
- Ointment for your eyes:
- John Walvoord quoting Barclay writes, "The tephra Phrygia, the eye-powder
of Laodicea, was world-famous. It was exported in tablet form; and
the tablets were ground down and applied to the eye. This Phrygian powder was
held to be a sovereign remedy for weak and ailing eyes."
- After healing the man born blind, Jesus said he came to "give
sight to the blind," and "show those who think they
see that they are blind" (John 9:39), because
His priority was to address spiritual blindness so that people might
see spiritual realities. The Psalmist requested, "Open
my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your law." (Psalm
119:18), which revealed Jesus Christ.
- The condition of the church was spiritual blindness. They had strayed from
the word and did not recognize their blindness.
(19) I am the one who corrects and disciplines everyone I
love. Be diligent and turn from your indifference.
- Diligent:
- The word for "diligent" in the Greek text is from
the same root as the word for "hot" in verses 15 and 16.
(20) "Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If
you hear me
calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will
share a meal as
friends.
- I stand at the door and knock:
- Why does Jesus stand outside the door? Why does He knock? Why does He wait
until someone opens the door? Can't He enter some other way on His own accord?
The picture of the 5 foolish virgins knocking on the bridegrooms door will ultimately
be fulfilled in the end times as the churches without Christ are left, and the
true church is taken up in the rapture.
- In John 20:26, he doesn't even go through a door: Eight
days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with
them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing
among them. He said, "Peace be with you."
- Luke 12:35-36: "Be dressed for service and
well prepared, as though you were waiting for your master
to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready
to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks.
- Share a meal:
- The Lord promised to "share a meal" ("sup" KJV) with the one
who would hear Him calling and opens the door .
- The Greek word is deipnein and its corresponding noun is deipnon.
The Greeks had three meals in the day:
- Akratisma, breakfast, which was no more than a piece of dried
bread dipped in wine.
- Ariston, the midday meal. A man did not go home
for it; it was simply a picnic snack eaten by the side of the road or in the
city square.
- Deipnon; the evening meal; the main meal
of the day. It was the deipnon that Christ would share with
the man who answered His knock, no hurried meal, but one
where people lingered in fellowship. If a man will open the
door, Jesus Christ will come in and linger long with him.
(William Barclay, The Revelation Of John, Vol. 1, pp. 147-148).
- Revelation 19:9: And the angel said, "Write this: Blessed are those
who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb." And he added, "These
are true words that come from God."
- God called Moses, Aaron, Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu and the
70 elders up the mountain. He said they could worship at a distance
but only Moses could approach Him. Before they went up, Moses had read the terms
of the covenant to them and sprinkled them with the blood of the covenant (Exodus
24:7-8). The meal they ate on the mountain was called a covenant meal,
usually bread and wine, and was part of the ceremony involved in establishing
a covenant. By their participation, the 70 Elders were formally confirming
the covenant made at Mt. Sinai between God and Israel.
- This is the appeal of Jesus for
intimate relationship with Christians - like Mary. Christians have
already received
the Spirit of Christ into their spirit or else they are not Christians,
but Jesus does not "force" His way into our life. He makes
His presence known by "knocking at the door," and
those who are His "hear him calling and open the door."
- John 10:14,16: "I know my own sheep, and they know me ..
they will listen to my voice;"
- Christians who are receptive to what Christ wants to do in their lives,
open the door to participate in spiritual fellowship with the risen Lord Jesus,
allowing Him to reside, abide and settle in to the abode of their soul.
(21) I will invite everyone who is victorious
to sit with me on MY throne, just as I was
victorious
and sat with my Father on HIS throne.
- My throne ... His throne:
- Notice there are TWO thrones!
- It appears the believers of Laodicea took John's warning to heart: the
church of Laodicea remained a dynamic community after most of the churches in
Asia Minor had disappeared.
(22) Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the
Spirit
and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches."
- Christians must have spiritual discernment "to hear what the Spirit
is saying to the churches".
NOTES:
