4. The Madder Root Was Grown in the Fields. This was a source of an expensive purple dye which was used to dye threads which were woven into fine purple cloth. Lydia, whom Paul met and led to Christ in Philippi, was a business woman from Laodicea who sold this purple dye, or perhaps the cloth which was dyed purple.
5. Hot Mineral Springs Existed to the East at Hieropolis. To these springs people came from great distances because bathing in the waters was thought to produce beneficial results due to their soothing and healing properties.
6. Cold, Delicious Water for Drinking flowed to the North-east at Colosse. This was refreshing and reviving water, the best anywhere in Asia.
7. The Water at Laodicea Was Putrid. Hieropolis and Colosse were noted far and wide for their good water, one for drinking, another for bathing; but Laodicea had a reputation for having the worst water in Asia. The waters from the cold springs and the hot springs flowed together before reaching Laodicea. This made it tepid and full of minerals. It was nauseating and virtually impossible to drink. The water which reached Laodicea was lukewarm and smelly with mineral deposits. Jesus knew all these things, and He used them to make His points in the letter to the church in Laodicea.
B. Characteristics of Jesus
1. The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness. Jesus identifies Himself as the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, and the Beginning of the creation of God. These descriptions also come from the way He is described in the vision of chapter one. In Rev. 1:5 Jesus is called the faithful witness. In the letter to Philadelphia, in Rev. 3:7 Jesus is described as He who is true. Here He is called the Faithful and True Witness, combining both these terms. The terms are similar in meaning, because if a witness is faithful, his testimony is true.
You can depend upon the word of Jesus. His promises are true and His blessings are real. You can trust Him completely because He has every intention of doing what He says, and whatever He promises He will provide. Since He has all power and all knowledge there is nothing to keep Him from fulfilling His intentions. Sometimes humans make promises they cannot keep. This is never true of God. Any promise He makes He will keep. The Laodicean church needed to know these things.
Jesus is the Amen. This word means certain, sure, trustworthy or firm; that which is established. It may be translated, so be it or it is true. He is the one Who makes it happen. By His word He sets it firmly and makes it certain. The reason He can do this is that He Himself is the one Who created all things (John 1:2-3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2, 8-10).
2. The Beginning of Creation. He is the Beginning of the creation of God. In Rev. 1:8 the Almighty says, "'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,' says the Lord, 'who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.'" Jesus says the same thing about Himself in 1:11. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last," and in 1:17b, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last." He is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega. He was in the beginning with God. He was before all things.
When He says that He is the beginning of the creation of God, He does not mean that He was the first thing created as some teach, but that He was the source of all things that were created. "In the beginning God [the Word of God, later called the Son of God], created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1:1; John 1:1-2, 14). He is, therefore, both the beginning and the end of all things. As the creator He has the power and ability to carry out His word. His word is powerful. Whatever He speaks comes to pass.
Now the things we have learned about Laodicea are used to teach some valuable lessons. In verses 15 and 16 Jesus says: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth."
Both the cold water to the north-east of Laodicea and the hot water to the east were good. The lukewarm water of Laodicea was nauseating.
C. The Needs of Laodicea
1. To Be Hot or Cold. Jesus wants His people to be soothing, healing hot water, or else refreshing, enlivening cold water. But the Laodicean Christians were nauseating to Him. He said, "I will [not might] vomit you out." If they remained like the tepid water, they were destined to be expelled by Christ. What made them like the nauseating water of Laodicea? The water was not only lukewarm in temperature, but it was contaminated with bitter, foul-smelling minerals. The church in Laodicea was contaminated with some things that were terribly distasteful to Christ. Most important, they had become self-important and self-sufficient. Verse 17 show this: "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy and have need of nothing'...."
2. To Depend on God. They were saying, "No help wanted. I can do this job all by myself." They had absorbed this independent attitude from the city in which they lived. Laodicea had been destroyed by an earthquake in 17 A.D. and again in 60 A.D. The Roman emperor, in each case, offered to help this important city rebuild, but the Laodiceans, in their pride, said, "No thanks. We are rich and need no help." The church there echoed this pride. No doubt they shared in the prosperity of the city. Could it be that they had accomplished this by compromising with the paganism and immorality in this city?
Christians in the province were unpopular with the pagans because they did not worship their pagan gods. As a result faithful Christians did not have much opportunity to share in the economic prosperity of a city. The fact that the Laodicean Christians did share in this prosperity is an indication that they probably compromised with the culture. There is not much indication from archaeological digs that this rich and powerful church ever existed there. Apparently they did not heed the advice Jesus gave, and they had been vomited out-a forceful way of saying their lampstand was removed.
3. To Obtain True Riches. The Laodiceans thought they were rich because of their material possessions, but were, in fact, "wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked." They had plenty of material possessions, but few of the things that really count. Jesus gives them some good counsel. He tells them to buy from Him "gold refined by fire, that you may be rich." True wealth is found in a different kind of gold than that found in the banks in the financial district of Laodicea, or on the banks of the Pactolus River. The gold that counts is the gold of Christian faith and character, smelted and refined in the fires of trial and persecution.
4. To Put on Spiritual Clothing. The clothing that counts is not the garments of black wool or the rich purple robes colored with dyes made from the madder root, but the white garments of righteousness which Jesus gives to those who are redeemed and sanctified. Without these garments a person is spiritually naked before the eyes of Christ.
5. To See with Spiritual Eyes. They thought they could see but they were blind. They were only looking with the physical eye. The things they thought were important were their material possessions. Their kind of blindness could not be helped by the Laodicean eye salves. They needed the salve that only Christ could provide. They needed to have Jesus open their eyes to the realm of the Spirit so they could see what was of true importance and value. They did not see. They did not know. They were deluding themselves as to their real condition.
6. To Repent. Jesus was telling them these things because He loved them and wanted to correct them for their own well-being. "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent." His words of rebuke, this verbal spanking, was not out of a fit of rage, but out of love for their souls. He is not willing that any should perish, but wants all men to come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9).
Of the seven letters, this is the only letter which has no word of commendation or approval. Apparently Christ saw nothing to commend, or else he would have done so. They needed to make a 180 degree turn-around. That is what it means to repent. They had worked for the material possessions of this world when they should have been laying up treasures in heaven. They needed to repent of their wrong-headed value system. They had placed their trust in their own abilities, their own wealth and possessions. They needed to repent and realize that no man is sufficient of himself. They simply cannot do it on their own. Everyone needs the help of Christ and His Holy Spirit.
Lukewarmness is also a term which means complacency. A feeling of being satisfied with the status quo. They needed to repent of complacency and become zealous for Christ, the gospel and righteous living. They needed to quit all those things which had contaminated their lives and polluted their testimony, and be zealous.
7. To Open Their Heart to Jesus. In verse 20 Jesus gives a very moving invitation. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." Jesus is the one who opens doors of opportunity, as in Philadelphia. He even opens the doors of death and hades. But He will not open the door to your heart. You have to do that yourself. Jesus will not force His way in.
I think it is significant that Jesus is begging entrance into the hearts of those who were already Christians. Generally we think of Him as seeking entrance into the hearts of the unbelievers. But in this case, He had been shut out of the lives of the Laodicean Christians. They didn't look to Him for help. They didn't think they needed anything. They did not operate under the direction of the Holy Spirit. They felt they could take care of any problem themselves.
The power of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit had no part in their lives. At one time they had accepted Christ and had been baptized. Now they felt they had it made. They could live their lives as they pleased, do what they wanted to, live like they wanted to, pursue their own wealth and pleasure, and get into heaven on the strength of their initial response to Christ. It just doesn't work that way. Christ was not in their hearts. All they had to do was let Him in and He would have sweet fellowship with them; but they must hear His voice in order to do that.
I once heard an anecdote that made an impression on me. I don't know who first told it. It goes like this: A poor, ragged man lived in a neighbor-hood where there was a rich and popular highbrow church. This church catered to the "important" people, to the rich and famous, to the well-dressed, sophisticated sort. To this church the poor man came every Sunday, and every Sunday he was turned away by the usher because of his poor clothes and shabby appearance. He did not have on the right clothes, or the right haircut and cologne, and he did not put on the required airs. Finally, after being turned away once more, he knelt down on the sidewalk and prayed, "Lord, I have tried many times to get into this church, but they just won't let me in." A voice from heaven came to him that said, "That's alright son. I've been trying for years to get into this church, and they won't let Me in either."
That sounds like the church in Laodicea, doesn't it? Do you know any churches like this? I have known churches where the members would be very uncomfortable if people came in who didn't have on the right clothes, or the right haircut, or the right accent, or the right color of skin. I wonder if Christ was there? I doubt it.
D. Those Who Repent Would Reign with Christ
The church in Laodicea had some wonderful things in store for them if they would only change their ways and follow the advice given by Jesus. Verse 21 says, "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My father on His throne." The Laodicean Christians were trying to be in charge of their own lives-to be their own king, their own god. "I am the master of my own fate; I am the captain of my own soul," is a policy a lot of people try to live by. It can't be done.
If those in Laodicea would only follow the counsel Christ gave them and overcome their wretchedness, spiritual poverty, and blindness, they could really become important. They could reign with Christ on His throne. So can you if you overcome (see Eph. 1:19-21; 2:4-6).
E. Is This Message for You?
Do you know any church like Laodicea? Perhaps you are a member of one. Do you see any of the attitudes of the Laodiceans in your own heart? What is the source of your wealth? Where have you placed your values? Has your life become polluted with the contaminants that make it bitter and nauseating to the Lord? Or is there a fountain flowing out of your inner being which is cool and refreshing to the thirsty souls of others? Is your life like the hot springs, giving comfort and healing to others? Does it project the character of Jesus Christ?
Is the Spirit of God working through you to provide rest to the weary, solace to the troubled, and healing to the sick of heart and soul? Do you place more emphasis on the stylish clothing on your body while going naked spiritually, or are you clothed with the garments of righteousness? Do you see like those of the world see, or do you have the spiritual insight that God's world-view provides? Remember that this letter is for you also. "Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to [all] the churches." Maybe you need to heed Christ's admonition to be zealous and repent.
So much for the things that are. With Revelation chapter 4 we begin the preparations for the Divine Drama of the Age which presents the things that will take place in the years to follow. These things were to begin shortly after John's visions on the Isle of Patmos.
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