3:14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write the following: “This is the solemn pronouncement of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator of God’s creation:
The Greek word for "laodicea" is Λαοδικείᾳ (laodekeia), meaning people ruling. In the Laodicean church, it was not the Bible ruling the people, but it was the people ruling themselves. The Laodicean church is the prominent church of today. This church will miss the Rapture, enter into the Great Tribulation, and join the Catholic Church in worshipping the Antichrist. Therefore, post-millenialists are wrong when they claim that the church is getting better and better, it will eventually evangelize the world, and then Christ will return. The very opposite will happen. The church will get worse and worse, it will eventually not lead anyone to Christ, it will miss the Rapture, enter the Great Tribulation, and worship the Antichrist.
2 Thessalonians teaches that the Great Tribulation will not occur until the church becomes apostate and the Antichrist is revealed.
1 Timothy 4:1 teaches that apostasy must come before the Great Tribulation. The origin of apostasy is the doctrine of demons. Demons will issue counterfeit theology in the local churches.
2 Timothy 3:5 teaches that there will be a form of godliness in the last-day churches. There will still be nice buildings, eloquent preachers, Bibles in the pews, lofty doctrinal statements, clergy clothing, Sunday schools, kids programs, etc. However, these churches will look godly on the outside, but they will deny the inspiration of Scripture. For example, the Episcopal Church still holds to their original 39 articles, but they do not believe them. The Westminister Abbey of Faith is sound teaching, but it is no longer believed by the clergy.
2 Peter 2 teaches that apostate churches will not be loving and they will deny the person and work of Christ.
When does a man become an apostate? According to 1 John 2:2, an apostate denies that Jesus is the Messiah. According to 2 John 7-9, an apostate denies the incarnation of Christ. According to 2 Peter 3:3-4, apostates will mock the return of Christ. According to Jude 17, an apostate causes schisms (or divisions) in the church.
The history of apostasy in the modern church began in the late 1800's. Many of the German theological schools began teaching that the first five books were not written by Moses. This led to Higher Criticism, a heretical theological concept in which scholars would look at the language of the text and determine that many of the books were not written by the traditional authors. This led to the denial of the virgin birth, the denial of the deity of Christ, the denial of miracles, and the denial of the resurrection.
At this time, the Presbyterians, Baptists, Episcopalians, and Methodists were very conservative in their faith. However, they began to allow liberal theologians into their seminaries. Eventually, these liberal teachers became seminary presidents. As presidents of a seminary, they would only hire liberal professors. Soon, there were more liberals in the seminaries than conservatives. The presidents used their votes to place liberals on the denomination boards. Eventually, the denominational boards at the state and national level were controlled by liberals.
This caused a split in the denominational boards. The conservatives left and founded their own conservative boards. In the meantime, all of the students being trained in these liberal seminaries could not pass their college tests unless they were liberal in their thinking. Liberal pastors began to fill the pulpits. This cycle effected the four mainline Protestant denominations.
In 1908, the liberals from the four mainline denominations joined together and formed the Federal Council of Churches. Their goal was the unification of all churches.
In 1910, the conservatives formed the General Assembly. They created five fundamentals of the faith, which included (1) inspiration of the Scriptures, (2) the virgin birth of Christ, (3) substitutionary atonement, (4) resurrection, and (5) the miracles of the Bible. The conservatives were called fundamentalists because they believed in those five fundamentals of the faith.
By 1920, the liberals were in control of the four mainline denominations and could not be forced out. By the 1930's, the conservatives pulled out and formed their own conservative boards. However, the conservatives could not agree, so there was further division within the fundamentalist groups.
In 1948, the World Council of Churches was formed to bring unity to all denominations. Later, their goal was to bring all religions under one banner. According to Revelation 17, they will be successful.
The Southern Baptists were the conservative group who separated from the original Baptist board that was controlled by liberals. They have remained conservative the longest, but they are currently having a hard time keeping the liberals off of their board. They will most likely split again in the near future.
In the 1960's, the Council of Churches goal was to merge the seven major denominations under one modern church.
3:15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot!
The "hot" are the true believers. They are the wheat. The "cold" are the unbelievers. They are the chaff. The "lukewarm" are unbelievers who claim to be believers. They are professing believers. They are chaff as well.
The Laodicean church was the only church that did not receive any commendation. They were not doing anything Biblically. They received only condemnations. Their condemnation was that they were lukewarm, believing and standing for nothing. They were just a materially wealthy country club posing as a church, receiving tax exemptions. Satan loves these kinds of churches.
3:16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth!
The liberal Laodicean church of today makes Christ want to vomit them out of His mouth.
3:17 Because you say, “I am rich and have acquired great wealth, and need nothing,” but do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked,
The Laodicean church thinks that they are wealthy, but they are actually very poor. Because they lack spiritual knowledge, they are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.
3:18 take my advice and buy gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich! Buy from me white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness will not be exposed, and buy eye salve to put on your eyes so you can see!
Those inside the Laodicean church were encouraged to do three things. First, they were to seek spiritual wealth. Second, they were to buy from Christ white clothing to hide their nakedness. White garments are worn by those who are saved. Third, they were to seek salve for their eyes to cure their spiritual blindness. Most members of the Laodicean church do not realize that they are blind and poor. They think they are thinking straight and that God has blessed them with material wealth. This is the condition of most of the modern churches of today
3:19 All those I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent!
Christ rebukes and disciplines His own children. Once a child of God is rebuked and disciplined by God, he should change his attitude and use his positive volition to follow God's will for his life.
3:20 Listen! I am standing at the door and knocking! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into his home and share a meal with him, and he with me.
The Holy Spirit was standing outside the Laodicean church and knocking. If, (3rd class condition in Greek, meaning if you do, this will happen) any man hear my voice, and open the door, meaning 1 John 1:9 confession of sins, he will have fellowship with Him. He wanted those in the apostate church to leave that apostate church and fellowship with Him. This is not about salvation but refers to recovery from negative volition.
3:21 I will grant the one who conquers permission to sit with me on my throne, just as I too conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Jesus gave a promise to those in the Laodicean church. If they will leave that church and believe in Him, then they can co-reign with Him during the coming Millennial Kingdom.
In the meantime, according to 2 John 4-7, believers are commanded not to fellowship or worship with apostates. They are not to greet them or allow them into their house. Galatians 1:8-9 commands that heretics are to be ousted from the local church. 2 Corinthians 6:24 commands that believers are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers.
3:22 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Those who have an ear to hear and understand this message are God's elect. Unbelievers cannot understand the Holy Spirit unless He changes their heart and opens their eyes and ears.
