This final letter was addressed to Laodicea, which was a city similar to Singapore. It was a bustling, prosperous city engaged in trade. It had no water supply and had to pipe in water from the surrounding region. Laodicea was also a medical hub and had a well-known school of ophthalmology. Things seemed to be good in this city, but what did Jesus had to say to them? What can we learn from this letter?
(A) God’s perfect knowledge: Jesus knows us fully and speaks to us truthfully (Rev 3:14)
How did Jesus chose to identify Himself to this church? Jesus introduces his words as "the words of the Amen" (Rev 3:14a). This description highlights the truth element in the things that He is about to say, possibly harking back to Isaiah 65:16 where God describes Himself as "the God of truth". Jesus, who is God, holds truth. We are also familiar with Amen being used at the end of prayers, and other translations are "truly, truly" or "verily, verily". This conveys a sense of affirmation, as seen also in 1 Cor 1:20 ("for all the promises of God find their yes (amen) in Him"). Jesus is the affirmation, the fulfilment of God’s promises.
Jesus also describes Himself as the "the faithful and true witness" (Rev 3:14b). Similar to the previous description, it emphasizes God’s perfect knowledge and what He says and does can be trusted. Faithfulness also points to a sense of completeness (as in a faithful recount or a faithful friend). As a witness, His words and testimony are always accurate and always true. Finally, Jesus also describes Himself as the beginning of God’s creation (Rev 3:14c). This does not mean that Jesus is the first created being, but rather, it is a declaration of Jesus’ deity and status as God. He was present in the beginning and caused all things to be created, and is sovereign till today. His place as creator also means He is an authority on His creation, i.e. us.
These descriptions of Jesus establishes the foundation for everything He says in the following letter. Jesus as a witness not only to God, but also of us and our deeds means that what He says about us is true. He knows everything perfectly, and so there is no space for dispute against what He says about the churches. He knows us inside out. Knowing about his perfect knowledge should make a difference to us and change the way we worship and live. What does this mean? It means that nothing we do is hidden from Him. At the end of all things, we cannot run away and justify our actions because He knows. He knows our intentions and what's hidden in our hearts. How does this change the way you think of Him, and how you might live?
(B) God’s true riches: Jesus provides treasures that keep us from lukewarmness (Rev 3:14-18)
What does Jesus say to this church? But before we go on, we need to see that there is something different about this letter that departs from the usual structure and pattern. In the previous letters, Jesus usually begins with a commendation, before calling for repentance in a specific area. Yet in this church to Laodicea, there is nothing good that is said about them. This is sobering because this is a church, yet He has these things to say to them. It is worth considering this, especially when we see the similarity with Singapore. As we study the rest of the passage, let's bear in mind what us and our churches can learn from this.
In Rev 3:15-16, there is a description of being cold, hot and lukewarm. What does this refer to? two possibilities when it comes to this description. Perhaps more commonly, our thoughts would be drawn to our passion and zeal for God, but this leads to the question of why it would be better to be cold (totally against God) than to be lukewarm. Context might help us here. One explanation for this has to do with Laodicea’s water supply. It was located in the Lycus river valley, along with other well-known cities like Hieropolis and Colossae. Hieropolis was famous for its hot springs, which supposedly had therapeutic and healing properties. Colossae was known for a cold stream that was thirst quenching and refreshing. Laodicea had no natural water supply and so had to pipe it via aqueduct from a distant spring. This led to water that was full of minerals and impurities, that was lukewarm and quite foul. The metaphor here has to do with the usefulness of the water, where the faith of the Laodicean Church did not produce any of the good qualities of the cold or hot water, but like the lukewarm water simply existed, fulfilling some kind of bare minimum purpose.
What does this mean for us? Our faith might produce a certain healing property if it is hot, or be refreshing if it is cold, but if it's lukewarm with no real use, we might as well not have it. Though the ‘passion’ line of thought might seem problematic, it can still be interpreted that way. It’s obvious why it would be better than lukewarm, but it might also be better to be cold than lukewarm – perhaps God is saying that it is better to be truthfully against Him, than to be deceptively for Him. It is better for Him to deal clearly with those who clearly rebel against Him, than to have to turn away people who think they know Him but really do not. We might also have experiences of sharing the Gospel, and know that sometimes some of the most difficult people to reach to are those who think they already know Christianity or are disillusioned about it based on their experiences.
What is the consequence of being lukewarm? The consequence of being lukewarm is to be spat or vomited out of God’s mouth (Rev 3:16). This is a graphic description of rejection, and also one that is very instinctive rather than considered. Jesus was not carefully considering their actions then rejected them after some thought. But like how we taste something bad and immediately spit it out as a reflex, so it is with Jesus and the Laodiceans here. It conveys a disgust that is much more instinctive and difficult to control. This is how God feels about lukewarmness – disgust. He cannot help but to reject it violently, with no time to consider.
Rev 3:17 continues to go on to describe the people and their sins. They were charged with self-sufficiency, self-centredness, idolatry of self, not trusting in God for everything and were blind to the reality of sin. These were people that were arrogant, proud and presumptuous. They even went so far as to claim that they do not need anything else and so blind to their actual state. Lukewarmness did produce a certain kind of fruit. This might indicate that their lukewarmness was a kind of satisfaction found in themselves, rather than in God. This was a city that rejected Roman aid and rebuilt their city after it was destroyed. There was a confidence and pride in their ability! This is not hard for us to identify with in Singapore. We grew up with the narrative of Singapore building herself up from being a Third World nation, all because of the diligence and smarts of the leaders and people. We have been sold the idea of meritocracy and working hard in order to achieve our dreams and goals. Do we also say these things to ourselves as well? In doing so, have we grown lukewarm and even blind to our sins How do we think of our own sin? Do we think of it lightly or are we set thoroughly against it?
Jesus calls them to buy 3 things (Rev 3:18). He commands this with a sense of irony for these things that Jesus demands cannot be bought by human riches. He calls them to buy:
Gold refined by fire -- Fire removes the impurities and leaves a pure product. Zech 13 (especially Zec 13:9) speaks of cleansing and purity and 1 Peter 1:7 speaks of a faith that is tested and made pure by fire. God calls for a pure faith that He can give.
White garments – Early on in Gen 3:7-11, 21 we read of the need to cover up our shame and guilt, and the provision of God by sacrifice. This is explained a little more in Isaiah 61:10, where we not see that we are not clothed with animal skins but are given garments of salvation and robe of righteousness. God covers our sin and shame, clothing us instead with salvation and righteousness that comes from Christ.
Salve to anoint your eyes – Luke 18:35-43 and John 9:24-39 speak of the healing of the blind that points to the faith that brings salvation. God grants us salvation by His grace and power, and He grants sight to see us for who He is.
Why these 3 things? This was a city that was a major banking centre and the trade routes tended to run through their city because it was located in the valley. This was why they were so rich. Laodicea was also known for their fashion, and they produced a special black wool. They were also know for their medical achievements and had a well-known school of ophthalmology. Jesus was therefore speaking to their context, speaking directly to the 3 things that they were the most proud of. Jesus did not speak vaguely, like a horoscope where things are written vaguely and we can always twist to make it make sense. Indeed, Jesus spoke clearly and directly, leaving no doubt about what He commanded.
Notice that Jesus calls people to buy these things from Him, but He has just told them that they are wretched, pitiable, poor, that all they thought they had of value is really of no value. What are they to buy with? All they have is their wretched selves. He calls them to give them himself, wretched and poor as they are, and He will give them these things. What kind of God is this that will take things that are of no worth and value, and in return, give such great gifts? In the same way, if we offer ourselves wholeheartedly to Christ, we receive these incredible gifts of faith, righteousness and salvation from Him. Are we lukewarm? Where is it that I need these true riches that only God can provide? Where is it that I tend to shirk and run away and try to live life without God? It is not difficult to fall into this trap. It is easy to become bored and complacent and just switch off when God's Word is being preached. This passage calls us to repent and turn back to Him, for all we have is to do that and He provides everything else. Rev 3 encourages us to look not to the things of this earth, but to things that are true and worth so much more!
(C) God’s great love: Jesus approaches us, drives us to obedience, and rewards us generously (Rev 3:19-22)
Jesus also calls the church to "be zealous and repent" (Rev 3:19). Instead of being lukewarm and passive, Jesus is calling them to action but specifically to repent. Repentance is the key to salvation, the action by which we buy the precious items from Him. It is a 2-step process, where there is a need to turn away from the sin that disgusts God (and should disgust us too), and also to turn wholeheartedly to Him.
Jesus doesn't only command the church, but also provides a reason for it. The conjuction "so" tells us that the call to be zealous and repent is actually the follow-up action. The reason behind this action is the love of God that compels Him to reprove and discipline His people. This is also raised in Heb 12:3-11. These passages should cause us to consider how we react to reproach and discipline, that can come in many ways. We know that sometimes discipline that is the fruit of anger and rage is unproductive, and we might not necessarily think of God as an angry madman, but could it be that we do not consider His love enough? Do we think of God's love in human terms, and pigeonhole God and the expression of His love in certain ways? If we were to realise that the motivation behind the discipline we receive is a deep, abiding love, would we be more compelled to turn from our sin?
Jesus doesn't merely issue the command, but we see in Rev 3:20 that He also initiates. He is described as one who comes to our doors and knocks! This is not a God who hides and expect us to seek and find Him. In this case, He is also not waiting somewhere for people to approach Him. What this verse is showing us is that all we have to do is open and invite Him in. He is an active God, He is gracious, He has great love for His own. We see this Jesus who takes the initiative in the encounter with Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10. Jesus went to Jericho, where Zacchaeus was and was the one who called out to Zacchaeus. This was surprising because Zacchaeus was a tax collector and usually shunned in their community. Ultimately, Zacchaeus is transformed by this encounter with Jesus, and Jesus’ great love for the lost is clearly displayed. At the end of this encounter, Jesus declares that the Son of Man has come to seek and save the lost. He is the one who provides great hope for sinners.
Whose door is He actually knocking on? He is approaching the church! After all, this is the letter to the church at Laodicea. Even in churches, there are Christians that have lost their way, and Jesus is coming to them. He calls them to repent. He also calls those that are actually not Christians. Whatever it is, we are meant to see how Jesus is taking the initiative, going all the way to seek out what He has lost. Have you lost something you treasure? How have you gone all out to find it? So it is with us and Jesus.
There is also a promise for all who conquer (Rev 3:21). He grants them to sit with Him on His throne. The throne idea will continue to unfold in the rest of this book. But to sit with Him conveys a great sense of fellowship and communion with God, and also partaking of that great feast and to just be in his present. There is also a certain status attached to it, for it is a throne. Believers will rule alongside God, given authority to judge and reign in the future. Who is He talking to? Just a few verses before, He was talking to the wretched and pitable people, but now, supreme dignity and honour given to those who are wretched sinners. These are promises given to the one who conquers. The lavishness of all that He promises to give us is a picture of His great love. Aren't these great privileges and promises to hold on to? Do we consider Jesus' love? How do you respond to it knowing that this is a God who loves you deeply? Is there some way you could quietly consider God's love for you?
In this letter to the church, Jesus is one who knows truly and perfectly, and is also loving. But if we think about this, how can this be so? For if Jesus knows perfectly our sin, how can He be loving? The only way it can be reconciled is in the gospel, at the cross. At the cross, the wrath of God was dealt with. In exchange, His people enjoy the righteousness and salvation that they don't deserve. Today is actually Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent. Christians traditionally use this period to prepare their hearts for Good Friday and also the hope that comes with Easter Sunday. Jesus' words in Rev 3:14-22, the words of the faithful and true witness tell us of our sin and our need to repent, but also point us to the God who calls us back to Him. He stands at the door and knock. How will you respond today?