The book of Revelation—a mysterious book to many—contains an urgent message for God’s Church at the end of the age, immediately prior to Christ’s return. Revelation 2–3 contains seven distinct messages that God gave Jesus Christ to reveal to His servants (Revelation 1:1). These messages, initially addressed to seven congregations in Asia Minor (modern Turkey), are prophetic in nature and address situations and circumstances throughout the history of the New Testament Church, spanning from the time of the Pentecost described in Acts right up to Christ’s return.
One of the purposes of prophecy is to help the people of God understand the sequence of events in God’s plan and where things currently stand. When Christ described to His disciples the signs that would take place signaling the end of the age and His return, He told them, “See that you are not troubled” (Matthew 24:6). In other words, when we witness the tumultuous events taking place, we should not be frightened but rather should understand what they represent in the context of God’s plan.
God revealed to His servant John the things that will take place so we can prepare for them and not be caught unaware. The message to the last era in New Testament Church history is a message delivered in love—with the fervent desire that the hearers of this message would take it to heart (Revelation 3:19). Christ’s message is that the Laodiceans are not ready to meet their Maker and that, unless they make significant changes, they will not rise in the air to meet Him at His return. What a terrifying thought!
In His address to the Laodiceans, Christ uses various symbols to illustrate His point. He begins by comparing their works to their municipal water supply. Laodicea did not have its own local source of water, relying instead on water brought from elsewhere via aqueduct. Unlike the therapeutic hot springs in nearby Hierapolis or the cold and refreshing water from Colossae, the water in Laodicea was widely known for being lukewarm, heavily laden with minerals, and not pleasant to drink.
Water is used in Scripture as a symbol for God’s Holy Spirit (John 4:10–14; John 7:38–39). When talking with the woman at the well in Sychar, Samaria, Christ said that “whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). This stands in sharp contrast to the water at Laodicea, which was neither healing nor refreshing. Instead of being filled with the Spirit of God and on fire with zeal and excitement for the coming Kingdom of God, the Laodiceans were self-satisfied and complacent—lukewarm. As a result, Christ said He would vomit them out of His mouth.
First-Century Laodicea
Laodicea was located along an important trade route and contained a large Jewish population, along with Syrians, Greeks, Romans, and other inhabitants. Roughly 200 years before Christ, Antiochus III moved 2,000 Jewish families from Babylon and settled them in the area. Laodicea was wealthy enough that its Jews sent 20 pounds of gold each year to Jerusalem. It was likely from this large Jewish population that Laodicea’s early Christian community was drawn.
Three principal industries in Laodicea were banking, textiles, and medicine. Large monetary transactions were frequently conducted, and the city minted coins depicting various pagan gods and Roman rulers. Wool from this area was prized for its soft feel and rich, black color. The city was so famous throughout the empire for the black robes it produced that it was nicknamed Trimataria—after trimata, the name of a locally produced tunic. The medical school was widely known for ophthalmology, and a locally produced eye salve, Phrygian powder, was exported throughout the empire. Located at the crossroads of north-south and east-west trade routes, Laodicea was a very cosmopolitan city.
And it was prone to earthquakes. In fact, in AD 60 a particularly devastating earthquake struck the Lycus river valley. Laodicea was destroyed, along with several other cities in the area. Although the Laodiceans could have received imperial funds to aid in the city’s reconstruction, Laodicea “recovered by its own resources, without assistance” (The Annals of Tacitus, Book XIV, section 27). It was a point of pride to Laodiceans that they were rich enough to not need outside help to rebuild as other cities did.
Physical Riches vs. Spiritual Riches
Physically, the Laodiceans were exceedingly rich, but spiritually they were destitute. Christ focused on this distinction to highlight the contrast between their physical and spiritual conditions. In many ways, their physical condition was the exact opposite of their spiritual condition.
Christ revealed that the Laodiceans’ sentiments about rebuilding without imperial assistance after the AD 60 earthquake were an accurate reflection of their overall attitude: “I am rich, increased with goods, and have need of nothing.” He then pointed out that they were, in fact, spiritually destitute, yet they couldn’t even see it. For a city renowned for its expertise with the eye, they couldn’t even see the pitiful state they were in.
In the Parable of the Sower, Christ described what can happen to those who hear and understand the message of the Kingdom of God—but who allow the cares of this life to overshadow the word of God in their time and attention. “Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22).
In other words, such recipients of the word become distracted and let the opportunity to be part of the Kingdom slip by. Instead of becoming Spirit-born members of the God Family—to rule and reign with Jesus Christ for all eternity, experience the fullness of joy and the pleasures of God forevermore, and be part of the incredible future He has planned, which we can’t fully wrap our minds around—they are sidetracked by the things that are passing away. Christ admonished His followers to lay up for themselves treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19–20). Laodicea was indeed very rich, but not in the way that matters to God.
A popular misconception is that a person can have it all—that it really is possible to keep your cake and eat it, too. But the reality is that everything has an opportunity cost. The cost of pursuing one opportunity right now requires that other opportunities go unpursued. We only have 24 hours in each day. Our time is limited, our energy is limited, and our attention is limited. Constrained by limited resources, our choices reveal the priorities we are pursuing. We may say that our priorities are in a certain order, and we may even believe what we say, but how we use our time makes plain what we value most.
We can’t pursue wealth and worldly acceptance and simultaneously acquire treasure in heaven and acceptance before God. Christ noted that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). The Laodiceans spent so much focus on their physical state of affairs that their spiritual affairs were in dire need of attention.
The truth is that without the aid of God’s Spirit, we can’t even discern our own hearts (Proverbs 21:2; Jeremiah 17:9–10). Much like the titular character of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Emperor’s New Clothes, the Laodiceans had been tricked by the god of this world into believing that they were gloriously attired, but the reality was that they were spiritually naked.
Urgency Required
Emphasizing that His return is at hand, Jesus Christ says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock” (Revelation 3:20). This symbolism illustrates the need for urgency. The Laodiceans were told to be zealous and repent, and before Christ’s return there will be those who should know better, but who will still deceive themselves into thinking that what they see happening around them is just another cycle in history (2 Peter 3:3–4).
Those who rely on physical senses to discern the times in which they live will see all things continuing as before. But those who rely on God’s Spirit to perceive the signs of the times can’t help but be filled with excitement and zeal for what is about to happen. The time is at hand! “Behold, the Judge is standing at the door” (James 5:9).
If we really see and grasp the significance of what is about to happen, we will be filled with a sense of awe and excitement. We are standing at the threshold of the greatest turning point in the history of the world! The significance of what is about to happen cannot be overstated. What an awesome future awaits those who rely on God’s Spirit to understand the magnitude of this moment in history and our part in it.
The purpose of the letter to the Laodiceans was to rebuke and correct them into making the necessary changes so they could rise in the air to meet Christ at His return. It begins by painting a vivid picture of the difference between their self-assessment and Christ’s assessment, and it goes on to give a prescription for corrective action, a reference to the urgency of their situation, and a reminder of the reward awaiting those who heed the message. It is truly a love letter—not the “mushy” kind filled with pleasantries, but one written with the fervent hope and desire that its recipients will take corrective action and be prepared to meet their Maker.
That message has particular relevance today, because Laodicea represents the stage of Church history that we are in. The message to Laodicea represents Christ’s warning and advice to the overall Body of Christ at the end of the age. Our job is not to hear the message and judge others, but rather to examine ourselves—to ensure that we recognize the times we are in and to “move forward on our knees,” as Dr. Roderick C. Meredith admonished us so many times.
As we consider this, let’s strive more than ever to have the ears to hear what the Spirit says—for our good (Revelation 3:22).