Revelation 3:14 - Meaning and Application

We now come to the last and worst of the seven Asian churches, the opposite of Philadelphia. There was nothing to blame in that church, but nothing to praise in this one. Yet Laodicea was still one of the seven golden lampstands, because even a corrupt church is still a church.

The message is sent to the angel, or messenger, of the church in Laodicea. Laodicea was once a famous city near the river Lycus. It had a huge wall, three marble theaters, and, like Rome, it stood on seven hills. The apostle Paul seems to have helped plant the gospel there, and he mentions the city in Colossians, where he sends greetings to the church there, since Laodicea was less than twenty miles from Colosse. A council met in this city in the fourth century, but it has long since been destroyed and lies in ruins today, a sobering sign of the Lamb’s wrath.

The Lord Jesus describes himself as the Amen, the faithful and true witness, and the beginning of the creation of God. As the Amen, he is steady and unchanging in all his plans and promises, all of which are sure and true. As the faithful and true witness, his witness about God to people must be received and believed, and his witness about people to God will be fully trusted and used against all cold, half-hearted professors. As the beginning of the creation of God, he is either the first cause of the first creation, meaning the Creator and ruler of all things, or the head of the new creation, the church. In that sense, he is the firstborn from the dead, as in (Revelation 1:5), where these titles come from. Christ raised himself by his own divine power, and as the head of a new world, he raises dead souls to become a living temple and church for himself.

The first thing noted is the grave charge brought against this church, both leaders and people, by one who knew them better than they knew themselves: “You are neither cold nor hot, I wish you were either cold or hot” (Revelation 3:15). Lukewarmness, or indifference in religion, is the worst condition a person can be in. If religion is real, then it is the most excellent thing, and we should take it seriously. If it is not real, then it is a shameful deception, and we should oppose it with seriousness. If religion is worth anything, it is worth everything, so indifference is not acceptable. There is no room for neutrality here. An open enemy has more honesty than a false neutral, and there is more hope for a pagan than for such a person. Christ expects people to make it clear whether they are truly for him or against him.

A severe punishment is then threatened: “I will spit you out of my mouth.” Lukewarm water turns the stomach and brings on vomiting, and lukewarm professors turn the heart of Christ against them. He is sickened by them and will not long endure them. They may call their lukewarmness charity, gentleness, moderation, or broad-mindedness, but it is disgusting to Christ, and it makes careless people foul in his sight. They will be rejected, and finally rejected, for the holy Jesus will not return to what he has already rejected.

One reason for this cold indifference is self-conceit, or self-deception. They thought they were already doing very well, so they did not care whether they grew better or not: “Because you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and need nothing” (Revelation 3:17). Notice the great difference between what they thought of themselves and what Christ thought of them. They had very high thoughts of themselves: “I am rich, I have become wealthy, and I need nothing.” They thought they were rich and getting richer, so much so that they were beyond need or even the possibility of need.

Perhaps they were well supplied in body, and that made them overlook the needs of their souls. Or they may have thought they were well supplied spiritually. They had learning, and mistook it for religion. They had gifts, and mistook them for grace. They had cleverness, and mistook it for true wisdom. They had ordinances, and settled for them instead of the God who gave them. We must be careful not to deceive our own souls. Many who now are in hell once thought they were on the road to heaven. So we should ask God every day not to let us flatter and fool ourselves about our souls.

Christ’s view of them was much lower, and he was not mistaken. He knew, though they did not, that they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. Their condition was miserable in itself, and it deserved pity from others. Though they were proud of themselves, anyone who knew the truth would pity them.

They were poor, truly poor, even though they said and thought they were rich. They had no provision for their souls. Their souls were starving in the middle of their plenty. They were deeply in debt to God’s justice and had nothing to pay even the smallest part of what they owed. They were blind. They could not see their own condition, their path, or their danger. They could not look within themselves. They were blind, yet they thought they could see. The light in them was really darkness, and how great that darkness must have been. They could not see Christ, though he had been clearly displayed before them and crucified. They could not see God by faith, though he was always present with them. They could not see death, though it stood right before them. They could not look into eternity, though they lived on its very edge.

They were also naked, without clothing and without shelter for their souls. They had neither the garment of justification, that is, being made right with God, nor the garment of sanctification, that is, being made holy in practice. Their guilt and uncleanness had no covering. They were always exposed to sin and shame. Their own righteous deeds were only filthy rags. They were rags and would not cover them, and filthy rags would only stain them further. They were naked and without shelter, because they were without God, who has been the dwelling place of his people in every age. Only in him can the soul find rest, safety, and everything it truly needs.

The riches of the body will not enrich the soul. Bodily sight will not give light to the soul. The most comfortable house for the body will not give the soul rest or safety. The soul is different from the body, and it must have what fits its own nature. Otherwise, even in the middle of outward prosperity, it will still be wretched and miserable.

Christ gives this sinful church wise counsel, and it is that they stop trusting their false ideas about themselves and become what they only seemed to be. “I counsel you to buy from me” (Revelation 3:18). Notice three things here. First, our Lord Jesus keeps giving good counsel even to people who have ignored his counsel. Second, the case of sinners is never hopeless while Christ is still calling and advising them in grace. Third, our blessed Lord, the true counselor, always gives the best advice, and it fits the sinner’s need exactly.

These people were poor, so Christ counsels them to buy from him gold refined in the fire, so they may become rich. He tells them where true riches can be found, and how they may have them. They are found in himself, not in earthly wealth or famous mines, but in Christ, the pearl of great value. And how are they to get this true gold from him? They must buy it. That sounds backward, because how can poor people buy gold? But it is like buying wine and milk from Christ, without money and without price (Isaiah 55:1). Something must be given up, but it is not anything of real worth. The sinner must part with sin and self-trust, and come to Christ with a sense of poverty and emptiness, so he may be filled with true riches.

These people were also naked, so Christ tells them where they may get clothing that will cover the shame of their nakedness. They must receive it from Christ, and they must put off their filthy rags in order to put on the white clothing he has purchased and prepared for them. This includes his righteousness credited to them for justification, that is, being counted right with God, and also the garments of holiness and sanctification, that is, being made more holy in life.

They were blind too, so he counsels them to buy eye-salve from him, so they may see. They must give up their own wisdom and reason, which are only blindness in the things of God, and submit to his Word and Spirit. Then their eyes will be opened to see their path and their destination, their duty and their real good. A new and glorious scene would open to their souls, a new world full of beautiful and excellent things. That light would be wonderful to people who had only just been delivered from the power of darkness. This is the wise and good counsel Christ gives to careless souls. If they follow it, he will honorably make it effective.

Great and gracious encouragement is then added to help this sinful people receive Christ’s warning and advice well (Revelation 3:19, Revelation 3:20). He tells them that it comes from true and tender love. “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.” They might think he had spoken hard words and severe correction, but it was all out of love for their souls. He would not have rebuked their lazy indifference and empty confidence so openly if he had not loved them. If he hated them, he would have left them alone to keep sinning until it destroyed them. Sinners should take the rebukes of God’s Word and discipline as signs of his good will toward their souls, and so should repent sincerely and turn to the One who strikes them. The wounds and sternness of a friend are better than the flattering smiles of an enemy.

If they would obey his warning, he was ready to make his words good in their lives: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock” (Revelation 3:20). Christ graciously comes near to sinners by his Word and Spirit, as if he were making a kind visit to the door of the heart. But he finds that door shut against him. By nature the human heart is closed to Christ through ignorance, unbelief, and sinful prejudice. Yet when he finds the heart shut, he does not leave at once. He waits to be gracious, even until his head is covered with dew.

He uses every proper means to wake sinners and make them open to him. He calls through his Word, and he knocks through the Spirit’s stirring of conscience. Those who open to him will enjoy his presence, to their great comfort and benefit. He will eat with them. He will accept what is good in them, and he will bring the best part of the feast himself. If what he finds would make only a poor meal, what he brings will more than supply the lack. He will give fresh supplies of grace and comfort, and stir up new acts of faith, love, and delight. In all this, Christ and his repentant people will enjoy sweet fellowship together. What a loss careless, stubborn sinners suffer when they refuse to open the door of the heart to Christ.

We now come to the close of this letter, and here, as before, we have the promise made to the believer who overcomes. It is implied, first, that though this church seemed to be fully overcome by lukewarmness and self-confidence, it was still possible, through Christ’s rebukes and counsel, for them to gain fresh zeal and strength and come out victorious in spiritual battle. Second, if they did so, all their former faults would be forgiven, and they would receive a great reward. That reward is this: “They will sit with me on my throne, just as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Revelation 3:21).

This means several things. Christ himself met temptations and struggles. He overcame them all, and more than overcame them. As the reward of his suffering and victory, he sat down with God the Father on his throne, possessing the glory he had with the Father from eternity. Yet on earth he had hidden that glory, as if leaving it in the Father’s hands, as a pledge that he would finish the work of a Savior before he took up that open glory again. After he had done so, he claimed the pledge back, so to speak, and appeared in his divine glory equal with the Father. Those who are made like Christ in his trials and victories will also be made like him in his glory. They will sit with him on his throne, on his throne of judgment at the end of the world, and on his throne of glory forever. They will shine in his light because they are united to him and belong to him as the body to its head.

Everything is brought to a close with a general call for attention (Revelation 3:22). This reminds all who hear these letters that they are not meant for private interpretation, and not only for the instruction, correction, and warning of those particular churches. They are meant for all the churches of Christ, in every age and in every part of the world.

There will be a likeness between later churches and these churches, both in their good qualities and in their sins. So they can expect God to deal with them in the same way he dealt with these churches. These churches serve as examples for all ages, showing what faithful and fruitful churches may receive from God, and what unfaithful churches may suffer at his hand. God's dealings with his churches can also teach the rest of the world a serious lesson: if judgment begins with the house of God, what will become of those who do not obey the gospel of Christ? (1 Peter 4:17).

So the messages of Christ to the churches in Asia, which make up the letter part of this book, come to an end. Now we move on to the prophetic part.