Some people never read the book of Revelation, saying that it is too difficult, but there are portions that cannot be more clear. They are missing the blessing of God given through John who wrote:
“Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is the hand.” Revelation 1:3.
If you make a habit of following a “through the Bible in one year reading guide,” such as the one we include in our weekly mailings, you will read Revelation through every year, and you will be greatly blessed even if there are parts that it is best not to be dogmatic in your interpretion.
I used to have in my library a book written by the founder of a highly respected American Bible College. He felt that the letters to the seven churches of Asia were symbolic of the church universal’s condition in seven periods through the ages from Pentecost to the return of Christ. Whether or not that is the case may or may not be so, but two of the seven churches do stand out, and they are the final two in the series. The church at Philadelphia stands tall being the only one of the seven that has no negative criticism. The last one, Laodicea has grown cold and self satisfied. Even though it has some who are faithful. Let us look at it a little closer. If it represents the church at the time of the Lord’s second coming, studying it should tell us why he comes just then, assuming the order has been chronologically arranged. That may or may not be so. Even if it is not, the Laodicean church has much to teach us.
“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou are neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wreched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich: and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Revelation 3:14-22.
Sadly, this text describes a lukewarm church which thinks herself blessed, rich, and very active, but is blind that so much of this activity is of the world, material, and not of God, spiritual. It is blind to its own nakedness, something like the emperor in the story of “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” In five of the other churches, He calls for the church to repent, but notice that in this case repentance is directed to the individual members (any man). Because He loves, he does not give up on the individuals, but one gets the impression that He has given up on the church as a body and is determined to save from it the genuine, repentant individuals, whom He will bless with the invitation to sit with Him on his own throne.
How could the church go from the blessed Philadelphia church to this in so short a time? Through neglect of the Word, the source of faith, Neglect the Word and Prayer, and the fire of Faith goes out. The fire goes out, and the faith become lukewarm like the cup of coffee abandoned on the breakfast table. Faith comes of hearing the word, so don’t let anything come between you are your devotion time!
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