The word amen conveys the idea of something faithful, reliable, and believable, and is typically used this way in the Old Testament. The ruins, now called Eski Hissar, or old castle, lie near the modern Gonjelli on the railroad, and they have long served as a quarry to the builders of the neighboring town of Denizli. He had to take up a battle against the sin, and carry out His pledge: Not My will, but Yours, be done! Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Two of the doctors from Laodicea were so famous that their names appear on the coins of the city (Zeuxis and Alexander Philalethes). To heal their weak spiritual condition, Jesus said, I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see (verse 18). That would not be logical since the church at Laodicea has already accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Does it matter which side of the room you sit in? Repentance comes from the heart and involves confessing from the heart. The city's reputation was for its money transactions and the good quality of raven-black wool grown in the area.1 The black wool, spun into dark yarn, was added to yarn dyed in other colors and made some very intricately patterned colored clothing, which sold for a high price in Rome. Laodicea was known for three things: It was a wealthy city and a financial center. He has given us Gods Word as a guide, help, and a weapon. At the foot of Mount Cadmus, it benefited from an endless supply of cold, freshwater coming down from the snow caps. The image is of a Savior who expects that His church will be looking for Him, awaiting His arrival. (19) Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. What did Christ mean? The only way to be in a right relationship with God is through forgiveness. Their money has become their idol, and they worship it rather than worshiping God. Jesus knows what it is like to be human. Along with Colosse and Hierapolis, it was one of the cities in the fertile Lyous [sic.] The Laodiceans were rich and self-sufficient, with no need for God to supply their needs. It is a message of hope and victory. 3. That the citys banking assets were noteworthy is evidenced by the fact that Cicero cashed huge bank drafts in Laodicea. "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. Why does the church not hear his voice? The word hot is the Greek word (zestos) and means hot or boil.15 Quite possibly, the Laodiceans may have associated the word hot with the hot waters of Hierapolis. Good deeds (Ephesians 2:10), godliness (1 Peter 1:15), Christ-likeness (1 Peter 2:21), and fulfilling the demands of the Law (Rom 8:4) are all part of the cost in purchasing white garments from Christ.). In other words, the name indicated that people made their own decisions. Six miles to the north, the town of Hierapolis sat on the top of the cliffs overlooking the valley. The Lord rebukes the wealthy Christians, not because of their wealth, but rather because their money has substituted God. In the medical works of the 2 nd century AD physician Galen of Pergamon, he described an eye medicine made from a Phrygian stone, probably broken down into a powder or made into a clay, and the eye "salve" John mentions in connection with Laodicea is the same word used by Galen and other medical texts of antiquity (Revelation 3:18; Liddell . By knowing and obeying the Word of God, you will be trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Hydrotherapy for the sick became accompanied by religious practices in the local temples. In the Old Testament, the sacrifice could not be slain until it had been presented to the priest. Because you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothingand do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and nakedI counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. Ruins from ancient Laodicea (photo by David Treybig). (18) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. But this can only happen when we are in the right relationship with him. Youre going to have to spend time in the reading the Bible to learn the truth and by meditating on the Word, reinforce the truth. Kris Udd In Revelation 3:18, God advises the church in Laodicea to purchase eye salve from him, "so that you may see." In the context this is clearly a metaphor for gaining spiritual sight and avoiding spiritual blindness, but the metaphor is based off of a well-known Roman practice. Cling to the Vine "I am the vine; you are the branches. Here we see Christ speaking as a merchant, advising the church to buy his merchandise. If you are living a self-reliant, self-sufficient life; relying on your strength rather than Christs, then you are lukewarm. The ancient Greeks liked their wine hot or cold. Copyright 2004 -, Transliteration of Amen From Hebrew to Greek to English. Nine miles to the east of Laodicea lay the town of Colossae. Other sources suggest that the water came from a hot spring with mineralized water containing sulfur, giving it an unpleasant taste and smell. He wants to hear about how our day went and share in our victories and sorrows. 21bI will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. What will happen to me? Contrition, on the other hand, is regret for the sin committed against Gods love and regret for having grieved the Holy Spirit. The major idea behind this word is constancy and reliability.8 Isaiah referred to God as the God of amen, due to his truthfulness and trustworthiness (Isaiah 65:16). The word for love used in this verse is not agape but phileo. His names include: the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness and the Beginning of the creation of God (verse 14). Gods word says that this spiritual gold tried in the fire is more precious than natural gold that perishes. The focus of this verse is on deed or works. But it's written that it was as a man that He humbled Himself, and was obedient. It is the motive behind the action, or works, that is important. For example, lets say that I issued instructions for you to sit either on the left or the right side of the room but not in the center. NPI number for Mrs Salve Aldea Pineda is 1669536868 and her . The ancient Greeks liked to drink hot water. Gods perspective of their condition was a stark contrast as to how they saw themselves. In Matthew 4:1-11, during Jesus' temptations, His reply always started with, it is written. But Jesus didnt only quote the Word; He had authority when He used Gods Word because He also lived by it. Theater of popular music. Sign up to receive the week's latest articles, blog posts andupdates. "11 (According to dictionary.com, the word "aver" means to declare positively, or state something as a fact.) Incline your ear and come to Me. What images came into their minds? Instead, this namethe Beginning of the creation of Godmeans that Jesus was the Creator of the universe. 1. Gold, clothing, and eye salve represent the three major industries of Laodicea: banking, textiles, and medicines. The hot Christian should also be like hot wine; the pleasant taste and aroma of a Christ-like life should cause people to want Christs salvation as well. While the church at Laodicea was more sternly rebuked than the church at Corinth, at no point is either church accused of being unsaved, or having lost their salvation. Jesus lived a life of humility. It was the perfect water for drinking, cooking, or even bathing. Article URL: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/revelation/seven-churches-of-revelation/laodicea/, Although there was much gold in the city, the riches that really matter are spiritual in natureknowing and practicing Gods truth (, Although Laodicea had a reputation for producing excellent-quality garments from the wool produced in the area, the Bride of Christ will be dressed in fine linen, clean and bright representing the righteous acts of the saints (, Although Laodicea produced medicine for healing various eye ailments, the most important things we need to see are spiritual. Wrapping up His message, Jesus then explains that He is standing at the door and knocking, meaning that He wants to come in and dine with them (Revelation 3:20). gold. Water is an important necessity for any metropolis, and the ancient city of Laodicea accommodated this need. While God sanctifies by grace, Christians are responsible to appropriate God's grace by faith. Listen, that you may live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David. The Greek word for "witness" ( - martus) means "one who can or does aver what he has seen or heard or knows. A lustrous black wool was produced there which was woven into much-desired clothing. One of the famous Laodicean remedies was a "Phrygian eye-salve" which was supposed to cure inflammation. The first thing we need to look at is what it means to be cold. It was named Laodicea by the Greek ruler Antiochus II Theos around 260 BC in honor of his wife Laodice. Christs threefold prescription to cure their condition paralleled the physical circumstances that had apparently deceived them. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing . The keys, according to this passage, are becoming skilled in the Word of God (by which we define righteousness) and practice (through which we gain experience). Rather this is the Creator of the Universe, adjuring those He loves to recognize and admit their spiritual emptiness and turn to Him for complete healing and righteousness. Verse three follows with, Incline your ear and come unto Me. (16) So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 1 Peter 1:7 states that spiritual gold is your faith in Christ, and every true believers faith in Jesus will go through a fiery trial during which all that is dross is to be done away with (burned away) to bring forth a finished product of pure, refined gold. What exactly is forgiveness? Physical money cannot purchase the merchandise Christ has for sale; it takes something else. The stone and salve were later imported throughout the Greek and Roman world but their first known use and preparation was in Laodicea. He and his wife, Teddi, have two grown children and seven grandchildren. As a result of not being either hot or cold for Jesus, they are like a rancid drink or repugnant drink that leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. It was a banking center. Youre going to have to spend time reading the Bible to learn the truth, and by meditating on the Word, reinforce the truth. Since Christ is referring to spitting something out of his mouth, the image of lukewarm wine comes to mind. It was a central banking center and traded well in black wool and an innovative eye salve used for medicinal purposes. What they were doing wasnt being done for the glory of God. Jesus is the power and authority that God utilized in creating the universe. What is the time of need? Moses was rebuking the rebellious Israelites by saying, But to this day, the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear. He was not referring to physical hearing, but to those who may hear the commands of the Lord but who lacked comprehension and desire to act upon those words (Jeremiah 5:21; Ezekiel 12:2). If you have, you can probably imagine what Jesus is experiencing. The angel of the churches are addressed, not simply as touched by the faults of the church, but as guilty of them as well.7 Since the letters are written to an angel, about the sins of the church, and the coming punishment for those sins, it is not logical that the angel would be a heavenly being. Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man here my voice, and open the . The word amen is used thirty times in the Old Testament. Making an everlasting covenant with God (salvation is only the starting point). Revelation 3:20. You, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. The fruit of godly repentance is unmistakable: earnestness (zeal) to do what is right in the eyes of God. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. Imparted righteousness is the righteousness of sanctification, wherein God causes the Christian to become more and more Christlike. But just as any purchase requires something for something, Christ is expecting something from the Christian. With so much wealth pouring into Laodicea, one of the most noted banks in the Greek and Roman world was located there. After such strong correction, it is especially poignant to note that God wants sinners to repent and will quickly forgive their sins if they do. Only a few are willing; the rest have ears, but they do not have ears to hear (Matthew 7:1314, 2427). Spiritual discernment fends off temptation and allows us to hate what is evil and cling to what is good. The word discipline is the Greek word (paideu) and means to correct, to chastise.22 The basic idea behind this word is correction or guidance. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth (Luke 21:34-35). The essential element in real repentance is that we must come to God in humbleness to request his forgiveness. Those who do not have "ears to hear" are spiritually dead and cannot obey God until they respond to His work in their hearts (John 6:65; Romans 11:8). While the original name of the city came from Antiochus IIs wife, the name also has an interesting meaning in Greek. and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. (14) To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: We're currently processing your request and we'll be in touch soon. Once again, Jesus Christ begins this message by identifying Himself as the One giving the message. John is only the recorder of the words, faithfully writing down what Jesus is saying. They may have been well off economically, but they were poor in their relationship with God. Since it was socially unacceptable to serve lukewarm wine in Greek culture, I get the image of Christ being insulted by being served lukewarm wine and him spitting it out in response to that insult. The focus of sanctification is the healing of the dysfunctionality of sin (it is imparted). In short, to be a cold, Christian is to serve as Jesus served. People traveled from around the world to obtain these supposed healing elixirs. He encourages them to overcome just as He did. The church at Laodicea was not victorious, but Christ had not yet given up on them. God cares more about the condition of our hearts than the condition of wallets. They had somehow taken off the white clothing they received during salvation and stood naked before God. And it works better than modern antibiotics in both lab and mouse models. It is possible the word meant the messenger or the actual person who delivered the letter, but that would require seven different messengers, one from each of the churches to have traveled to Patmos to get the letter to deliver it. Of course, Gods love extends to all humanity. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance. All things are from Him, and we exist for Him. The city also became renowned throughout the empire for it's eye and ear salve. Christ told the church at Laodicea to buy____from Him to become truly rich. He reckons it to our account.18 The process of reckoning is what we call salvation. To answer these questions, we need to look at Laodicea from the eyes of the Laodiceans. Before considering the significance of this term and the rest of the message from Christ, lets note a few things about Laodiceas history. What does it mean to be hot? 20band will dine with him, and he with Me. How is your hearing? His obedience was because, as a man, He had self-will that was in agreement with the Father's. The discipline of Christ stated in Hebrews 12:5-11, explains that God's discipline proceeds from his love and seeks to develop righteousness in his people. It was the location of a temple dedicated to Asklepios. The first question well delve into is why they needed to purchase white garments. (20) Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. Laodicea also produced a special eye salve that was made by powdering a special Phrygian stone. The Greek word for faithful, ( - pistos) means true, sure, trustworthy, believable, worthy of credit.9 The Greek for true, ( - alethinos) means loving truth, veracious and hence worthy of credit.10 (According to dictionary.com, the word "veracious" means habitually speaking the truth; truthful; honest.) His entire life was a fulfillment of God's Word, and thereby, Gods will. We must ask God for forgiveness and for strength to avoid sinning. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. Instead of looking to God to supply their every need, they look to their wealth instead. According to Expositors Bible Commentary, A six-mile-long aqueduct brought Laodicea its supply of water from the south. The term lukewarm is a key word used to describe Laodicea. The city was at the crossroads of north-south traffic between Sardis and Perga and east-west from the Euphrates to Ephesus. Verse 20 is not a salvation message for non-Christians; it is a warning to Christians. Justification is God's declaration of righteousness (it is imputed). After all, He's knocking at the door. The time of need is when temptation comes when we see and feel the sin in our flesh when we struggle to keep ourselves from sinning. Hours of Operation Monday & Tuesday 10a - 6p | Thursday & Friday 8a - 4p Saturday - By Appointment Only. The Bible is the weapon God has given us; words to use against Satan's deceit like Jesus did, words that show us what to do, words of comfort. If you would like to learn more about the Church that Jesus founded, we highly recommend the section on this website titled The Church: What Is It?. The reward here seems to be one of sharing royal honor, victory, and authority with Christ in His future kingdom. Jesus is telling the church to have a purpose, to have a focus, and to make sure that Jesus is the reason for their deeds and works. The word beginning (arch) could be translated as that by which anything begins to be, the origin, active cause.12 The New Testament scriptures are very clear about Christ's role in creation. Sanctifies by grace, Christians laodicea eye salve responsible to appropriate God 's grace by faith,... Seven grandchildren to Ephesus knowing and obeying the Word Amen is used thirty times in the and... Father 's how they saw themselves been presented to the Vine & quot ; Phrygian eye-salve & quot I! That people made their own decisions up to receive the week 's latest articles, blog andupdates... 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