An Amazing Promise for Laodicea.
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” – Revelation 3:20 – 22. NLT
Jesus presents Himself as standing outside the door into Laodicea, knocking and seeking an invitation to enter. Philadelphia’s door is the open door of salvation, Jesus holds it open, and no one can shut it. But the shut door here is not shut by Jesus but by Laodicea itself. It is an allusion to the Song of Solomon and actually has sexual overtones. Note the story behind this text.
“I slept but my heart was awake. Listen! My lover is knocking:
‘Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night.’
‘I have taken off my robe–must I put it on again? I have washed my feet–must I soil them again?’
… I looked for him but did not find him. I called him but he did not answer.” Read the full story in Song of Solomon 5:2-6.
Back in the time of Solomon kings had many wives (Solomon had 700) who were housed in a harem. The Song of Solomon is the story of a particular woman in Solomon’s harem, who may have been his favourite. She had been hoping he would come for her that night. She waited, waited, and finally gave up and went to sleep. Then he comes! But in her sleepiness, she did not jump up and invite him in. “No, not now. I don’t feel like getting up and putting my robe on again. My feet might get dirty on the floor.” Finally, she has a change of heart and runs to the door and opens it. The tragedy is that he is already gone.
This is a scary scenario when applied to a church. Jesus does not force His way in but allows her to make the choice. The message here is that there is no time to lose. If Laodicea does not act soon, it will be too late.
There is something truly special in the promise of today’s verse that doesn’t become obvious until you have looked at all seven over-comer promises in the seven letters. In stair-step progression, each church is given more and more promises, perhaps to counter the increasing degeneration seen as one reads through the seven letters. The first church, Ephesus, receives a single promise: the over-comer there will gain the right to eat from the Tree of Life.
The second church, Smyrna, receives two promises. The over-comer is promised both the crown of life and that they will not be hurt by the second death.
Pergamum is promised three things, the hidden manna, the white stone, and a new name, which will be written on the white stone.
The fourth church, Thyatira, receives a total of four promises. The over-comer in Thyatira receives authority over the nations. He will rule them with an iron sceptre, will dash them in pieces, and will also be given the morning star.
The over-come in Sardis walks with Jesus and is dressed in white. Not only that, they are assured that their names will not be blotted out of the book of life, instead their names will be acknowledged before Jesus’ Father, and also before His angels.
Philadelphia six promises from Jesus. They are to be kept from the hour of trial, will be pillars in the temple of God, and will never again leave it. God will write His name on them, and the name of the city of God, and Jesus’ own new name. A total of 21 promises, seven times three!
Does that mean Laodicea is going to get seven promises? No. It actually gets only one. The most hopeless of the seven churches gets the best promise! The over-comer in Laodicea gets to sit with Jesus on His throne! That one promise includes all the twenty-one promises received by the other six churches! If you sit with Jesus on His throne, you have everything!
The church who has nothing receives the promise of everything! “Where sin abounds grace does much more abound.”
As the condition of the churches declines, as the rebukes of Jesus become more severe, the promises of Jesus abound more and more. The worse things get, the greater the grace and power that God exerts. The deeper the problems you may have in life, the more powerful is the grace of Jesus Christ. This message speaks as powerfully for us today as it did in ancient times.
Just wanted to say a big thankyou for sending me these messages and your explanations of them. Debbie
Thanks Debbie – it gets better and more exciting.