Sardis
The peculiarity of the last four assemblies is, it will be remembered, that while they follow one another as to their development, they all continue until the coming of the Lord. They do not displace one another (we speak of their prophetic aspects) as Smyrna displaces Ephesus, and Pergamos Smyrna; but, though coming successively on the scene, they will all abide to the close of the dispensation. Sardis thus came into existence after Thyatira and this gives at once the clue to its identification. If the state in Thyatira produced by Jezebel represents the Popery of the Middle Ages, Sardis, in the state of its angel, sets forth Protestantism. But we must still inquire, of what period? It should perhaps be pointed out that, as Thyatira reaches the end, Sardis is a new start, as it were, produced by a new action of the Spirit of God. This new and vigorous movement was soon arrested, and it speedily lapsed into the condition of its angel, having a name to live and yet dead. The issue is, as will be seen in Laodicea, rationalism, that is infidelity, whereas the close in Thyatira is ritualism. How significant is this twofold issue!
The mighty movement called into being by the Holy Spirit through Luther and his co-workers, whether in their own or other lands, was the origin of Protestantism. In his days the teaching of Jezebel had full play, and, with the exception of those who sighed and mourned in secret over the corruptions everywhere prevalent, was generally accepted. The children of God were in full association with the world and would have thought it a strange thing to refrain from eating things offered to idols. Separation from evil, save on the part of the persecuted remnant, was wholly unknown.
It was in the midst of this state of things that Luther, a vessel chosen and prepared of God for His service, appeared and he had the privilege of recalling the people of God to the all-sufficiency of the Scriptures, and to the fundamental truth of justification by faith. It seemed, at the outset, the dawn of a new day, and souls on every hand drank in the blessed truths, which he and his assistants proclaimed, as the weary earth drinks in the fertilizing showers of heaven. Having their soul-thirst thus satisfied, they were strengthened to break off from their necks the yoke of Rome. Thousands joined in the movement—some, alas! from political motives—and Protestantism became a power in the world.
But the energy of the Spirit of God as thus displayed (for that it was His work few can doubt) soon ceased; it was speedily lost amid the worldly and human activities that sought to avail themselves of His blessed work for their own selfish ends. Then the Reformation sank down into the expression of antagonism to Rome, using its new light and truth as the battle-ax of its conflicts. “This was Sardis. Not the Reformation in its pristine energy, but the Reformation as it became after its life and power had evaporated. (The proof of this is seen in verses 2 and 3, where the angel is exhorted to strengthen the things that remain and are ready to die, and so forth.)” And this is Sardis, developing ever sadder and more corrupt elements until the end.
In view of this explanation the character of the Lord’s presentation to the angel is very significant: “These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars” (vs. 1). The church on earth is the habitation of God through the Spirit, and is the sphere, therefore, of His operations and power. But, as we have seen, Sardis presents no sign of His activity; and it is just because of this that the Lord presents Himself as possessing the plenary power (seven is the perfect number) of the Holy Spirit in His ministrations. We say Sardis; but the reader will remember that it is really the angel, those set to teach and to rule who are addressed. Still it is these that produce the public state. Rationalism, for example, has ever come down from the “teachers” to the people. The remnant in this assembly are those who repelled the influences of the angel, and maintained holiness in life and walk. The church may thus fail; but Christ (and this is for the comfort of His people amid decay, corruption, and death) never fails; and hence, whatever the state of the church, He still has at His disposal all the Spirit’s power. This is an immense principle for the sustainment of the saints, constituting indeed their resource in all times. At Pentecost, for example, the Spirit wrought without let or hindrance and the consequence was power in testimony, the energy of the “first love” and the perfect fellowship of the saints. Contemplating all this, and contrasting it with what is now seen, we might become utterly despondent unless we were reminded, as here, that there is as much power available today for faith as then—that Christ still has the “seven Spirits of God” at His sovereign disposal. Blessed consolation!
He has also the “seven stars.” It is not now said, as it was to Ephesus, that He holds them in His right hand; that is, that He upholds them by power; but they still belong to Him, and He would have them both owning His authority and also counting upon Him for the supply of their need in His service. The more broken the state of things the more He would have those who might take the place of leaders amongst the saints connect everything with, as well as derive everything from, Himself. When there are no visible sustainments for those in responsibility it is the more important (though this be ever so) to lean wholly on Christ.
The condition of the angel of the assembly is described in one short, sad, and pregnant sentence: “I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead” (vs. 1). The works are general; and “knowing” these is merely the statement that nothing escapes the Lord’s notice, that He is cognizant of all the condition of His people; and then, as the result of His investigation (for He walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks), He gives His verdict—His infallible verdict. And what is it? A name to live, but a name that belies its actual condition; for He says, “Thou art dead.” Such was the state of the angel of Sardis—the actual, existent Sardis—as it presented itself to the eyes (and His eyes are as a flame of fire) of Christ. And this state of things represents also Protestantism as it was after the days of Luther; and remember as it will be found until the coming of the Lord.
What then are the present applications of these solemn words? Three at least may be noted, and to these special attention is invited. First, there is the obvious one to the Protestantism of this and other lands. And when we speak of Protestantism, we do not speak, let it be noted, of individual congregations, but of Protestantism as a whole, as it presents itself in the world. Is its condition otherwise than here given? Even the most superficial observer must admit its truth, and even that it is now worse than here stated. All the evangelistic movements of the day, all the meetings and conferences for the promotion of the spiritual life are outside of the recognized organizations of Protestantism and cannot therefore be pleaded in mitigation of this verdict. In Protestantism itself rationalism, political zeal and activity and worldlinesss in its manifold forms are its vital forces; but where is there the sign of the activity of the Holy Spirit? No; spiritual stagnation—yea, death—everywhere characterizes it, even while boasting of its glorious traditions and of having a name to live. That there are here and there congregations of another order, ministered to by devoted men, we gladly admit; but this fact in no wise alters the general condition of Protestantism. (In evidence of this the “Downgrade” movement may be cited. Its earnest opponent found but few supporters in his own denomination; and some of these finally accepted a compromise which involved the toleration of the very doctrinal errors against which the protest had been made.) A second application, as in the case of Ephesus—and Sardis was a single assembly in John’s day—may be made to individual churches or gatherings; that is, if there is an assembly anywhere corresponding in its spiritual condition with the description here given, then this letter, with its searching statements and warnings, should be seriously weighed in the presence of God. Lastly, if there is an individual—a professor—who has a name to live amongst Christians, and who yet is spiritually dead, he also would do well to ponder this divine communication.
We come now to exhortations and warnings: “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee” (vss. 2-3). The words “be watchful” really mean become so, showing that at this time they were not watchful; for, as has been seen, it was a time of spiritual death. And the consequence of not having been watchful was that the things which remained were drooping and ready to die. These had formerly been channels of energy, instinct with life, but now were languishing from lack of spiritual energy; forms of life still remaining, but only forms, now that the life which had called them into existence had waned if not departed. The ground of this exhortation is found in the succeeding clause, “I have not found thy works perfect before God.” (vs. 2) (The true rendering and reading are, “I have not found thy works complete before My God.”) There were, therefore, activities still sustained in Sardis; and it is often the case that activities, which have been really called forth by a genuine work of the Holy Spirit, will be carried on, and sometimes with increased zeal, long after the power that evoked them has ceased. It was and is so in Sardis, as may be seen in its various societies with their multiform organizations for the accomplishment of religious and philanthropic ends. But the Lord had examined the nature of these “works,” and His sentence is that they are not “complete before My God.” Before man they might appear as worthy of all commendation; before God they were deficient, lacking in the essential element of good works; for inasmuch as they were not produced by the energy of the Spirit, they were not Christian but indeed dead works. It is the motive that determines the character of all our activities, and the motive is never Christ unless the Holy Spirit is their power.
Having exposed the real condition of Sardis, the method of restoration is next indicated. They were, in the first place, to remember how they had received and heard; that is, they were to call to mind the source of all the blessings they had “received,” that it was nothing but grace which had bestowed upon them such unspeakable privileges (compare 1 Cor. 4:77For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? (1 Corinthians 4:7)); and they were to measure themselves by the standard of the truth they had “heard” at the outset. This exhortation contains a most interesting principle. The responsibility of this assembly is seen to be according to the light it had actually received. (Compare Matt. 11:21-2421Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. 23And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. (Matthew 11:21‑24).) Sardis therefore, and consequently the Sardis of today, is judged by the light it received at the Reformation; namely, by the truth of the all-sufficiency of the Scriptures, and by the doctrine of justification by faith. Could it, can it, stand the test? Why it is in the heart of Protestantism that the full inspiration of the Scriptures is being everywhere denied and that the dogma of justification by faith is treated as a relic of an ignorant age? Sardis would indeed do well to ponder upon these words of the Lord which point out the measure of her responsibility. (It is interesting to notice that the responsibility of the individual, at least of the servant, is according to a different standard. If he does not do his Master’s will, even though ignorant of it, he will be beaten with few stripes; for since the Master’s will is revealed in the Scriptures there is no excuse for ignorance. This is seen in Luke 12:4848But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. (Luke 12:48).) The Lord thus calls upon her to hold fast, not to let slip, and to repent, to humble herself before God, as she contrasts her present with her former condition, that there, in the true spirit of self-judgment, and owning her sad declension and fall, she might seek grace for revival and recovery.
As an illustration of the fact that the angel is God’s representative in the assembly, it will be noticed that all these exhortations and warnings are given to the angel. While the assembly cannot but be responsible for her state in the individual believers of which she is composed, it is to those who form the teaching body, and to those that have the lead, that the Lord looks to for recovery.
Space is thus given for repentance. Should she, however, not avail herself of it, then the Lord would in His wisdom deal with her according to her deserts? The reader will remember once again that it is not Christians the Lord will judge in this way, but the church as His vessel of testimony, as His responsible light-bearer amid the darkness of this world. And what is the judgment denounced? It is that the Lord will treat the church—Sardis—even as the world, if she does not repent. This will be understood if we turn for a moment to 1 Thessalonians 5. Writing to the saints, the apostle says, “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. ... But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief” (1 Thess. 5:2,42For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:2)
4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (1 Thessalonians 5:4)). In the previous chapter he had explained to the saints that they would be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, before the day of the Lord, commencing with His appearing, would be introduced. It is on the world, therefore, that the day of the Lord will come as a thief; and now Sardis is warned that unless she repents, the Lord will come upon her in like manner. She will thus be treated as the world. It is, indeed, on Christendom, whatever its ultimate form after the church is caught away, that the day of the Lord will burst with special judgments; and it will be too at the very moment when those within its sphere are beginning to say, “Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” (1 Thess. 5:33For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:3)) Such will be the doom of that which, having a name to live, was yet dead.
As in Thyatira so also here a remnant is distinguished. “Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white: for they are worthy” (vs. 4). “Names” in this place is used for persons, but as showing the Lord’s intimate knowledge of them, and perhaps at the same time, betokening the smallness of their number. The word “even” should be omitted, for the surprise is rather that there were not more separate ones in the midst of that which had rebelled against the corruptions of Thyatira. Not defiling their garments will mean that they had been kept untainted by the evils around. James thus speaks of keeping oneself unspotted from the world (James 1:2727Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27)); here it would not only be from the world, but also from the contaminations within the sphere of God’s professing people. How precious this faithful remnant were to the heart of the Lord is seen from His promise concerning them: “They shall walk with Me in white: for they are worthy.” (vs. 4) Maintaining holiness of walk and conduct while in the sphere of responsibility, their distinguishing recompense should have a conspicuous relationship to the moral separation then maintained. The practical holiness of their walk here should have its fruition in walking with Christ in white—the expressed reward for their fidelity. And He is pleased to add, “for they are worthy” (vs. 4)—made worthy indeed by His own preserving power, but having this worthiness imputed to them by His own grace and love. (Compare Luke 21:3636Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. (Luke 21:36).)
Three distinct promises are made to the overcomer. To overcome in Sardis would be to remember how they had received and heard, and to hold fast and repent, and to acquire the condition of those who had not defiled their garments. This is seen from the character of the promises. First, he should “be clothed in white raiment.” (vs. 5) The correspondence between this promise and that to the faithful remnant unmistakably shows that the overcomer would be brought into that class. On four different occasions white robes or raiment are mentioned in this book. The multitude, that no man can number, who have come out of the great tribulation are said to have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. This is what may be termed judicial cleansing (Rev. 7). (This interpretation may perhaps be questioned on two grounds; first, that the blood is for the person, for his guilt; and secondly, that we are never said in Scripture to apply it to ourselves. Since therefore the force of the phrase is, “In the power or the virtue of the blood,” it may mean that, being under its efficacy, they washed their robes, maintained purity of walk and life. The reader will weigh this suggestion.) To the martyrs that were seen under the altar white robes are given (Rev. 6:9-119And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. (Revelation 6:9‑11)), and here perhaps as a token of the Lord’s approbation. In Revelation 49And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 10The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelation 4:9‑11) and Revelation 199And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 10And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 11And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. (Revelation 19:9‑11) the elders and the Lamb’s wife are seen clothed in white raiment; and in the latter case we have the Holy Spirit’s own interpretation in the words, “The fine linen [clean and white] is the righteousness of saints,” (Ch. 19:8) or the righteousnesses of saints. This gives the clue to the white raiment of our passage, inasmuch as the promise refers to a future heavenly condition. The Lord thus promises that the fruit of overcoming should be manifested and enjoyed in heaven; that every act of faithfulness to Him which led to separation from unholiness here should have its future appropriate recompense in an eternal display in His own presence.
The second promise, “I will not blot out his name out of the book of life,” (vs. 5) bears also a very marked relation to the condition of things in which the overcomer had been found. That which had characterized Sardis was having a name to live while it was dead. How many dead names, names of dead professors, therefore must have been on its registers; and every one of these would finally be erased. In God’s book of life (see Phil. 4:33And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlaborers, whose names are in the book of life. (Philippians 4:3); Rev. 13:88And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8); Rev. 17:88The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. (Revelation 17:8); Rev. 20:1515And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)) there will be no erasures; but when profession is included, enrolled, it is otherwise, and it is this which the Lord signifies by this promise. There may be another meaning. When godly believers, in their desire to be found in obedience to their Lord, are compelled to stand apart from the prevailing religious corruptions, they incur the hostility of that which claims to be the church, and their names are taken off from human registers. But the Lord would sustain the hearts of His faithful ones in their trials by the assurance that their names should not be blotted out of the book of life.
There is yet more; for He adds, “I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels.” (vs. 5) What an honor! but one, too, publicly conferred upon the overcomer. There is nothing a soldier more ardently covets than to have his name mentioned by his commander in the dispatches which announce a victory to the Queen and her government. But this does not compare with the mark of distinction bestowed by the Lord upon those who have fought the good fight, finished their course, and kept the faith! He confesses the names of all such in the audience of His Father and of His angels. This, if an unspeakable honor, is none the less overwhelming grace. It may seem now a small and even a despicable thing for a saint to maintain the place of separation from evil, and to successfully resist all the seductions with which he is plied to fall in with the habits and practices around in the sphere of profession; but when the name of such an one is uttered by the Lord before the Father, and before all the heavenly host, there is not one in all that countless throng that will not esteem this token of approbation as the highest honor that could be possessed. May every believer who reads these words be stirred up to seek grace to be accounted an overcomer.
The epistle closes, as in Thyatira, with the proclamation to him that hath an ear, proof of the intense yearning of the Lord over His people, and of His ardent desire that His words may find entrance into, and beget a full response from, their hearts.
Philadelphia
After Sardis comes Philadelphia; but it must be again borne in mind that, the last four assemblies successively appear, they yet all go on concurrently to the close; unlike the second, third, and fourth which displace their predecessors, these four continue, after they have come upon the scene, until the coming of the Lord. There is, moreover, a great contrast to be noted between Sardis and Philadelphia. Sardis is Protestantism, of which there can be little doubt; it is not Protestantism, as has been previously pointed out, in its pristine energy when the Spirit of God wrought mightily through chosen vessels and produced what has been called the Reformation; but it is rather what Protestantism became, sunk into, after the energy of the Holy Spirit had ceased, when its life and power had crystallized into rites, forms and organizations. Philadelphia, on the other hand, is presented to us in all its freshness and beauty, and hence elicits from the Lord nothing but commendation and promised blessing. The Lord’s eye and heart are both refreshed and gratified by this assembly. It should, however, be noted that the assembly as such does not appear. The address is to the angel all through, whether commendation, promise or exhortation. It is, therefore, the state of those symbolized by the angel; but we cannot doubt that the assembly is, as it were, behind the angel; that, in other words the states of the angel and of the assembly are identical. Another thing should be observed. Both Thyatira and Sardis are intensely ecclesiastical and present themselves in the world as public church organizations; whereas Philadelphia and, in a measure, Laodicea are more moral states and conditions. This will be seen more fully afterward; only it will help the interpretation if this is remembered.
Coming to the letter to the angel of this assembly, we have, first of all, after the address, as in the others, the characters in which the Lord is presented: “These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth” (vs. 7). The difference in this presentation from those already considered is at once perceived. Here is what He is in Himself, His moral character, exhibiting what is true, what the Lord is but also indicating what this exhibition should produce in His people, if rather we may not say His requirements from those who would, in an evil day, meet His mind and receive His approbation. As another has written, “It is His personal character, what He is intrinsically, holy and true, what the Word displays and requires, and what the Word of God is in itself—moral character and faithfulness. Indeed, this last word includes all: faithfulness to God within and without, according to what is revealed, and faithful to make good all He has declared” (Synopsis, J. N. Darby, 5:512). And it should not be forgotten that this presentation of Himself is abiding, and, as such; declaring to the saints of today that nothing which does not answer to Him as the holy and the true can command His approval. “There must be what suits His nature, and faithful consistency with that Word which He will certainly make good.”
Together with this He possesses “the key of David” (vs. 7); that is, as is plain from the scripture whence this figure is taken (Isa. 22:2222And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. (Isaiah 22:22)), the power of administration. Outwardly He does not interfere, and to unbelief He might appear as utterly unconcerned as to the confusion and tumult around, as He did to His disciples when sleeping in the boat while the storm was raging. But He never surrenders His prerogative; He possesses the key of government; and it is He, therefore, and He alone, “that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth.” (vs. 7) What a consolation! It might seem to be human instrumentalities alone that often close the door; if so to sight, they are but carrying out His will, though they themselves may be acting in the flesh. The servant should not, therefore, attempt to open a closed door; while, on the other hand, if the Lord has opened it, he may peacefully rest in the assurance that none can shut it.
Having called attention to Himself and to His administrative power, the Lord then addresses the angel of the assembly: “I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept My word, and hast not denied My name” (vs. 8). Inverting the order, we may first dwell on the characteristics of this assembly, as they form in fact the ground of the announced open door.
The Lord’s interest in the state of His people is again declared by the word, often considered in the previous pages, “I know thy works.” (vs. 8) Nothing escapes His eye; and here indeed, as in the Canticles, He has come into His garden to eat His pleasant fruits. The features mentioned may not seem, at first sight, so greatly attractive; and yet it is these feeble expressions of the power of the Spirit that delight the heart of Christ.
(1) “Thou hast a little strength.” (vs. 8) Notwithstanding that the Lord has only commendation to give to the angel of Philadelphia, there is no display of power and energy as in Pentecostal days. The time for this, indeed, had long since passed and now feebleness or little power marked the condition of Philadelphian saints. It was of necessity so (we speak of Philadelphia prophetic rather than the historical assembly), for while it is complete and corporate, it yet, considering its coexistence with Thyatira and Sardis, must have a remnant character. The natural mind, and even godly souls, when uninstructed in the Word, long for the exhibition of power as in days of old; but let all such learn from this divine communication that within the circle of that condition that meets the Lord’s mind there never can be anything else other than “a little strength.”
(2) “Thou hast kept My word.” (vs. 8) This is the feature that ever delights the heart of our blessed Lord— and a feature, above all others, that distinguishes moral state. This may be seen from another scripture: “If a man love Me, he will keep My words” (John 14:2323Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23)). (It should be “word,” and not, as in our translation, “words.”) Keeping His word means treasuring it up in the heart so that it molds, governs and produces obedience. The term “word,” moreover, is very comprehensive: it includes the sum and substance of all the Lord’s communications to His people. When therefore He says to the angel of Philadelphia, “Thou hast kept My word,” (vs. 8) He signifies that His people prized it as their greatest treasure, and that they were individually governed by, and in subjection to it; and that consequently He had His rightful place of supremacy in their hearts and in their service. Would that there were more collective purpose of heart to win the same blessing and the same approval!
(3) “And hast not denied My name.” (vs. 8) “Name,” as is usual in Scripture, is the expression of what Christ
is as revealed to His people and will include, therefore the truth of His person and work, as well as His authority, as set forth by His full title, “Lord Jesus Christ.” It is somewhat remarkable that it should be put in a negative form; but it was, and is, no small thing to find, in the midst of declension, and even surrender of the truths of redemption, if not apostasy, those who were collectively keeping the Lord’s word and not denying His name. The remnant in the midst of apostate Israel in the days of Ahab are described in a similar manner, as those who had not bowed the knee to Baal. To borrow another’s language: “It seems little; but in universal decline, much pretension and ecclesiastical claim, and many falling away to man’s reasonings, keeping the word of Him that is holy and true, and not denying His name is everything.”
It is to the angel of this assembly in this condition that the Lord says, “I have set before thee an opened door, and no man can shut it.” (vs. 8) So it should be given that it is not a door standing open, but one that the Lord has opened. It would have been closed had He not opened it. This implies, as we gather, that wherever the condition here indicated is found, the Lord opens for His servants a door—a door for His testimony and service, and a door which He will keep open, whatever the hostile efforts to close it. It was so in the Lord’s own service in the midst of Israel. To the outward eye, He had but little strength; He was crucified in (ek) weakness, He lived by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God. He truly did not deny His Father’s name, and there was ever before Him, in spite of the craft, malice and enmity of man, an opened door. To Him the porter opened; and so too now to all who, in any measure, possess the moral characteristics here given. We never therefore need to be anxious about open doors for service; our only concern should be to be in the state to be used, and then a door will always be opened, even though there be many adversaries.
Promises follow. The first concerns their ecclesiastical surroundings: “Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee” (vs. 9). (Compare Isa. 60:1414The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 60:14).) Who, then, are these claiming to be Jews? There can be little doubt that they are “those who found religion on ordinances and not on Christ,” those who are governed by traditions and ecclesiastical usages, and not by the Word of God, those who make an “ecclesiastical pretension to a successional God-established religion.” Not that these say, in so many words, that they are Jews, but they do in effect, for they distinctly take Jewish ground in their sacerdotal orders, robes, rites, ceremonies, and temples, or “sacred” buildings. And these have always been, when the law permitted, the active persecutors of those who, refusing the old traditions and usages, have sought to be guided alone by the Word of God; and, when restrained, they have treated them with harsh language and scorn. They claim, through apostolic succession from Peter who was the Jewish apostle, the apostle of the circumcision, to be the divinely established church; but it is of these the Lord says, they are “of the synagogue of Satan,” not exactly are it, but of it; they belong to the synagogue which is morally under Satan’s power.
In this day all such as are prominently before the world occupy in the world’s eye the place of the church, while those who with a little strength seek to keep the word of Christ, and not deny His name, are, if noticed, despised. But the time is coming when these relative positions will be reversed, and those who are now exalted by their pretensions shall come and “worship” before the feet of Philadelphia, and know that she has been the object of the Lord’s love.
Such comfort does the Lord administer to His true-hearted and afflicted people! It was His own path, scorned by the religious leaders of His people, yea, rejected and crucified. Now He is the exalted One, and they will one day have to bow the knee at the name of Jesus, and with their tongues confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
We have, in the next place, a promise of another sort: “Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (vs. 10). The meaning of “the word of My patience” may be gathered from Revelation 1:99I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 1:9). John describes himself as “your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.” The whole of the present interval is the time of Christ’s patience, for He waits at the right hand of God until His enemies shall be made His footstool; and He has taught His people this,“and given the word that in teaching directs the path and spirit and conduct of him that waits. They wait with Christ according to the word of His patience.” This is a most blessed state of soul, for, unless we remember the character of the present moment, we are tempted to be impatient in the presence of the activities and power of evil; but once we call in the thought of Christ quietly waiting, and the fact that the longer He waits the more extended will be the day of grace, our souls being encouraged will find rest in communion with Him. It was for this reason that Paul prayed for the Thessalonians that the Lord would direct their “hearts into the love of God, and into the patience waiting for Christ” (2 Thess. 3:55And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. (2 Thessalonians 3:5)). (“Patient waiting” is a paraphrase; the word is really “patience” or “endurance.”)
Philadelphia had enjoyed communion with the Lord in keeping the word of His patience; and, as an incentive to perseverance in this path, He ministers the suited promise that He would keep her “from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” (vs. 10) This “hour of trial,” of which the Lord speaks, is not the unparalleled sorrows of which we read in Matthew 24, concerning which He says, “Except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matt. 24:2222And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. (Matthew 24:22)). This is the Jewish tribulation, connected with the Antichrist, and confined to Jerusalem and Judea; but the hour of temptation of our scripture (coincident as to time possibly, and even springing from similar causes, inasmuch as the head of the Western Empire and the Antichrist will be associated) is to come “upon all the [whole habitable] world.” (vs. 10) The object of this permitted trial is “to try them that dwell upon the earth.” (vs. 10) This does not mean the inhabitants of the earth. It is a moral expression to denote those who, as in Philippians 31Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. (Philippians 4:1), mind earthly things; those in fact who, having refused God’s testimony, have their thoughts, affections and desires confined to and bounded by this present world.
But it is asked, Will not all God’s people, the whole church rather, be kept from this hour of trial? Undoubtedly so, for indeed it will not arrive until after the church is caught away to be forever with the Lord. But the point is, as also in some respects in all the promises to the overcomers, that the needed encouragement for the saints in their special circumstances is thus ministered. The Lord had spoken of the word of His patience which the angel of Philadelphia had kept; and from this we gather that this assembly existed, or, if we speak of prophetic Philadelphia, does exist, in the presence of a large display of the power of evil; and this called for, and through grace they had exhibited, much patience in intelligent fellowship with their Lord. It was to the saints in these circumstances the Lord gave this promise, wherein He reminded them that the time was coming when there would be a universal and almost unhindered display of evil; but they should be kept out of it, because they were keeping the word of His patience. Thereby He ministered present sustainment and consolation to their hearts, in reminding them that in this future season of fiery trial they would have found their eternal joy in His own presence.
Still further encouragement follows —“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” (vs. 11). (The word “behold” should be omitted.) This assembly is surrounded with evil of every kind. Jezebel holds undisputed sway in Thyatira, Sardis has a name to live and is dead, and so is corporately characterized by lifeless profession; and hence Philadelphia needs no small fidelity and energy to cleave to the Lord and His truth in such circumstances. There are many seasons, in such a time as the present, when the subtle temptation to question presents itself, Is it any longer possible to maintain the honor of the Lord and His truth? With all that calls itself Christian in opposition, might it not be better to pursue an individual path? It is to meet this wile of the enemy that the Lord utters these words. He knows and sees the stress of the conflict; and, as beholding it, He would cheer His faithful ones in the prospect of His coming to maintain the struggle, even until their hands, like the hand of Eleazar the son of Dodo, are weary, and cleave to their swords. The force of the words is, “I am coming quickly; hold fast what thou hast until I come, that no man take thy crown,” the crown of My approbation and smile. It is as if one saw a shipwrecked sailor clinging to a spar, and cried, “Hold on, I am coming!”
Blessed Lord, Thou seest the difficulties of Thine own in keeping Thy word, and not denying Thy name! Thou knowest all their feebleness, and how they are nearly overwhelmed by the rising waters around. Keep them therefore ever in recollection of this word, that Thou art coming quickly, and thus strengthen their faith, and encourage their hearts. Only thus will they be kept from losing their crown.
We have next the promise to the overcomer: “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God; and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God: and I will write upon him My new name” (vs. 12). The character of the overcoming in this assembly is specially to be observed. There is no evil indicated to be withstood and overcome; it is not even perseverance in fidelity that is urged upon the saints, even at the cost of a martyr’s death, as in Smyrna; but overcoming here is simply maintaining. “Hold that fast which thou hast;” (vs. 11) “him that overcometh,” (vs. 12) that is, in holding fast, “will I make a pillar,” (vs. 12) and so forth.
It will also be noticed that the promise to the overcomer has reference to Philadelphia’s present condition. Here, it has little strength; the Lord would make the overcomer “a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out” (vs. 12)—stability and permanence marking his condition in contrast with feebleness here, and transitoriness. Here, keeping the word of Christ constituted the overcomer’s crown, above with Christ, he should have written upon him “the name of My God,” (vs. 12) the expression of all that God is as revealed in Christ, and unfolded in His word; “and the name of the city of my God ... new Jerusalem,” (vs. 12) the display of God’s glory in the church in her glorified condition (see Rev. 21:1010And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, (Revelation 21:10)); “and my new name,” (vs. 12) for here the overcomer had not denied the name of Christ. My new name, “the name not known to prophets and Jews according to the flesh, but which He has taken as dead to this world (where the false assembly settles down) and risen into heavenly glory” (Synopsis, J. N. Darby, 5:515). It is intimate association with Christ, as shown from the repetition of the word “My,” in every variety of His heavenly glory—in His own relationship to God, to the church in her public display in glory as the dwelling-place of God, and in His own personal glorified condition as Man at the right hand of God.
The proclamation “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (vs. 13) closes the epistle; and well might we, in the presence of this gracious communication, unite in fervent supplication both for the hearing ear and the understanding heart.
Laodicea
Everything which God has entrusted to man in responsibility has utterly failed. Adam in paradise, Noah in the new earth, Israel under law, the priesthood, prophets, and kings—all alike failed in their several positions. The church, alas! is no exception to the general rule; for in Laodicea we behold its final condition as estimated by Him whose eyes, as He walked in the midst of the seven candlesticks, were as a flame of fire. And again, it should be remembered that the root of the state of this assembly is found in Ephesus—in the loss of her “first love.” It was there the decline commenced, and, whatever the gracious interventions of God to recover His people, this decline continued, expressing itself, as we have seen in various and widely different forms, until at length the limits of divine forbearance are reached, and the Lord declares His unalterable purpose of “spueing” the church, as the vessel of testimony, out of His mouth. He finally rejects, as His witness, that which bears His name on the earth.
It is this hopeless, and now irremediable, condition of Laodicea which accounts for the special characters the Lord assumes in His presentation: “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” (vs. 14). (As a great deal has been made of the use of Laodiceans, it may be mentioned that the correct reading is Laodicea, and not, as in our version, Laodiceans.) All these characters express what the church should have been for God in the world; but having falsified every one of them, and thus become a false witness, the Lord presents Himself as the One in whom they have all been verified and secured. God will have His glory maintained. He will permit His people to have the privilege of making it good; but on their failure, He will Himself vindicate His own name.
(1) First, then, Christ is the “Amen.” The key to the meaning of this word may be found in 2 Corinthians 1, where we read, “For all the promises of God in Him [the Son of God, Jesus Christ] are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2 Cor 1:2020For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. (2 Corinthians 1:20)). That is, in Him is the affirmation, and in Him is the confirmation of the truth of all that God has spoken. So here the Lord, as the Amen, presents Himself as “the fulfillment and the verifier of all the promises” of God. The church, we repeat, should have been this but, having forgotten her heavenly calling and the source of her power and blessing, she has found a home in a scene where the Lord Himself was rejected. She has in this way; become the denial of, instead of being the Amen to, the promises of God.
(2) Connected with being the Amen, Christ is also “the faithful and true witness” (vs. 14); and He was that both concerning God and man. Here it is probably in the former aspect He is seen, as God’s faithful and true witness. This, as before noticed, from the very figure of the golden candlestick found in the first chapter, is what the church was intended to be in this world. The Apostle Paul therefore, writing to the Corinthian assembly, says, “ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ” (2 Cor. 3:33Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. (2 Corinthians 3:3)). But how could an assembly that in its own estimation was rich and increased with goods and had need of nothing, be the faithful and true witness of Him who, when down here, had not where to lay His head?
(3) He was, moreover, “the beginning of the creation of God.” (vs. 14) Adam, the responsible man, was the beginning of the first creation; but in the cross of Christ the first man came to his end before God, he was forever judged and set aside, and has been once and for all superseded by the Second Man, the Lord from heaven. As soon as Christ came into the world He was the second Man; but He did not take that place until He was risen from the dead, the Head now of a new race, as well as the Head of His body the church. It is Christ, therefore, as risen and glorified, who is the beginning of the creation of God, and it is to Him in this condition that the church, which is His body, is united by the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven; and hence it is that the church “ought to have displayed the power of the new creation by the Holy Spirit; as if any man is in Christ, it is a new creation, where all things are of God.” Instead of that, as Laodicea testifies, she has become the expression of her own importance, covetousness and earthly-mindedness. What an immense consolation then it is, in such a state of things, to look upward and to find that, while everything has slipped from our grasp, to our own shame and confusion of face, God finds the perfect answer to all His own thoughts of grace, and has secured all for His own beloved people in Christ.
The condition and judgment of Laodicea are now given—“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot... So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth” (Rev. 3:15-1615I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15‑16)). Laodicea bore the name of Christ and presented itself in the world as the church. Such was its moral condition. Its principal feature was indifference, springing from the want of heart for Christ and expressing itself in that spurious charity which regards all “religious” beliefs as alike good, provided there be sincerity. There is consequently lukewarmness: no zeal for Christ and no hatred of sin, but a mild self-complacent toleration of all and of all things. This humanity was substituted for Christ, and, as a consequence, philanthropy for religion. As has been written long ago, “It would not renounce Christ, would keep up profession, but would sacrifice nothing for Him, it would keep the church’s place and credit, yea, claim it largely on many grounds as a body; but spiritual power, in individual association of heart with Christ or trouble for Him, was gone.”
Such was the condition of Laodicea as discerned, infallibly discerned, by Christ; and it was nauseous to Him; He abhorred it and therefore declares irrevocably that He will spew it out of His mouth. He does not say when He will do so; but the decree has gone forth from His lips and will never be recalled. Its meaning is that He will totally and forever reject the assembly as His public witness, His responsible light-bearer in the world. This is its primary application; but surely every individual believer may learn, both for instruction and warning, that nothing, no state or condition, is so displeasing to Christ as lukewarmness or indifference.
Revelation 3:17-1817Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18I 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 eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (Revelation 3:17‑18)
The Lord, in the next place, exposes the cause of the condition He condemns and though He has pronounced judgment, He indicates the remedy: “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, 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 eyesalve, that thou mayest see” (vss. 17-18). (This should read rather, “And eye-salve to anoint thine eyes.” The eye-salve must be “bought” of Christ, equally with the gold and the white raiment.) As may be gathered from Deuteronomy 8, and other scriptures, the danger in the wilderness for God’s people is that of murmuring and unbelief, the danger in the land when surrounded with blessings is that of self-sufficiency and self-exaltation. It is into this latter danger that Laodicea has fallen. Possessing all the light of the Word of God and familiar with the spiritual blessings which are the church’s acknowledged portion, she forgets the source of her wealth, and ascribes all to herself. It is she who is rich and increased with goods, and has need of nothing. In other words, she makes everything of man, and nothing of Christ—save to use His name for her own exaltation. “In Laodicea, all that they professed to have, all that man could estimate the value of, was false and human. I do not mean mere outward riches, but all that could give a larger pretension to wisdom and knowledge and learning, perhaps a pretended fuller view of Christianity itself.”
And what exists today as the counterpart of this description? What is it that will finally form Laodicea? It is, in one word, rationalism—that rationalism which is currently under the name of broad church theology, and which is daily on the increase, occupying a large place in the Anglican establishment and has almost completely flooded whole fields of dissent. For the teachers of this school bend all their efforts to eradicate the distinctive truths of Christianity; to rehabilitate the first man, notwithstanding he has forever been judicially set aside in the cross of Christ; and they are never weary of proclaiming that the light of reason of their own minds is all-sufficient to guide them both in deciding what is the Word of God and also in their journey through the mazes of this world. It is their perpetual boast that they are enriched with all the accumulated treasures of the science, philosophy and civilization of the nineteenth century. Yea, truly, according to their own estimate they have need of nothing!
But what is the estimate of Christ? He says, “Thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked;” (vs. 17) and more than this, He says that Laodicea does not know that she is in this miserable plight. What a difference between the thoughts of Christ and those of this assembly! She claims superior knowledge! He says she is utterly ignorant! She revels in her fancied wealth and possessions! He says that she does not possess one single thing. Which estimate then are we to accept? Remember in answering this question that the Lord had surveyed this assembly with eyes that were as a flame of fire, testing and penetrating into the real character of everything that met His gaze.
Remember, too, that it is He into whose hands all judgment has been committed. Can you doubt then which is the true verdict? When will souls learn that man as man is wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked? And this assembly, by its vain self-sufficiency, her self-importance fed with pretended light from human sources, had gotten “off the ground of Christianity, and on to that of the world or natural man;” and hence her sad and lamentable condition.
Nothing could show out more fully the Lord’s tender grace and long-suffering than the counsel He gives to Laodicea under these circumstances. She has turned wholly away from Christ, except in profession; and yet He would fain draw her attention to Himself as her only source of recovery. Let us then look at what He so graciously proffers. There are three things—“Gold tried in the fire” (vs. 18)—a well-known symbol of divine righteousness, which in Christ, as has been remarked by another, is never separated from life; “white raiment,” (vs. 18) which, as may be seen from Revelation 1920And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:20), sets forth the righteousnesses of saints, the fruit of the power of the Spirit following upon the possession of, and upon the becoming, God’s righteousness in Christ; and the “eyesalve,” (vs. 18) or unction of the Holy One (1 John 2:2020But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. (1 John 2:20)), which is the only source of spiritual perception and intelligence. The exhortation “to buy” these things of Christ will be readily understood in the light of other scriptures. (See Isa. 55:11Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. (Isaiah 55:1); Matt. 25:9-109But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. (Matthew 25:9‑10).) It is simply a figure of grace, buying “without money and without price.” (Isa. 55:11Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. (Isaiah 55:1))
Concerning the significance of this counsel of the Lord, we transcribe the following words: “They are the divine gifts and power of Christianity in contrast with what man possesses as man, with that of which he can say, ‘Gain to me’—man’s conscious possession of that which gives importance and value to man in his own mind.... What was wholly wanting was what was divine and new in man....They are specifically divine things connected with man’s rejection and acceptance in Christ alone, to be had only in Christ and from Christ, and nowhere else; not an improvement of man, but what was divine, found in and obtained from Christ” (Collected Writings of J. N. Darby, Vol. 2, “Expository”).
Down to the end of verse 18, the Lord addresses the angel of Laodicea. In Revelation 3:1919As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. (Revelation 3:19), in view of the possibility of individual believers being found in this corrupt assembly, He announces a general principle of His dealing with His people, and then, as standing outside, appeals for admittance to anyone who should hear His voice. The principle then is, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (vs. 19). That this principle is applicable to those in relationship with Christ (compare Job 5:17-1817Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: 18For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole. (Job 5:17‑18); Proverbs 3:11-1211My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: 12For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. (Proverbs 3:11‑12); Amos 3:22You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. (Amos 3:2); Heb. 12:5-115And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. (Hebrews 12:5‑11).) will scarcely be questioned. It lies indeed at the foundation of God’s governmental ways with His people in this world, and hence the exhortation, “Be zealous therefore, and repent.” (vs. 19) The Lord thus warns any of His people, as well as those who were only professors, that His rod was already lifted up and that, unless there were repentance, He must let it fall for chastening and rebuke. Precisely the same thing is seen in the discipline He exercises at His table. “If,” says the apostle, “we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged;” and again, “when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world” (1 Cor. 11:31-3231For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:31‑32)). It is therefore out of the tenderness, out of the love of His own heart that this warning proceeds. He never afflicts willingly; but if His people continued deaf to His entreaties and appeals, He loves them too well to allow them to pass on unrebuked and without chastening.
In the next verse we have first the position which the state of Laodicea has compelled Him to assume: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock.” (vs. 20) The church on earth is God’s habitation through the Spirit, and yet we find in this scripture that Christ is constrained by the condition into which it has fallen to be outside. Remembering the candlestick character of the assembly here, this interpretation may perhaps be questioned. But while it is true that He is outside the hearts of those addressed, seeking admittance, it is also to be remembered that Christ is not within Laodicea, for in no sense could it now be said to be God’s habitation through the Spirit. Judgment is not yet executed; He has not yet spewed it out of His mouth; but He has taken His place outside. So also we read in the Gospel of Matthew, immediately on His passing judgment upon the temple and Judaism in the words, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate,” that He “went out, and departed from the temple” (Matt. 23:3838Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. (Matthew 23:38); Matt. 24:11And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple. (Matthew 24:1)). It is the same with Laodicea; it has become man’s house, not God’s—a testimony therefore, not to Christ but to man’s own importance and self-sufficiency. In sorrow, and as we know, from the analogous case of the departure of the glory from the temple (Ezek. 10-111Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. 2And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight. 3Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court. 4Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord's glory. 5And the sound of the cherubims' wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh. 6And it came to pass, that when he had commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubims; then he went in, and stood beside the wheels. 7And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubims unto the fire that was between the cherubims, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen: who took it, and went out. 8And there appeared in the cherubims the form of a man's hand under their wings. 9And when I looked, behold the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the color of a beryl stone. 10And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel. 11When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went. 12And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had. 13As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel. 14And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. 15And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar. 16And when the cherubims went, the wheels went by them: and when the cherubims lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them. 17When they stood, these stood; and when they were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also: for the spirit of the living creature was in them. 18Then the glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims. 19And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the Lord's house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. 20This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims. 21Every one had four faces apiece, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. 22And the likeness of their faces was the same faces which I saw by the river of Chebar, their appearances and themselves: they went every one straight forward. 1Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the Lord's house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. (Ezekiel 10:1‑11)), reluctantly, the Lord unable to bear longer, consistent with who He is, with the moral corruption and perversion of the truth, which had become associated on earth with His holy name, will go forth and forever take His place outside the professing church. And let it not be overlooked that, even though Laodicea may not, so far, be fully developed, the Lord may act in this manner, even now, in respect of individual assemblies. (In fact, though that which will form Laodicea is plainly seen on every hand, the actual time of its full presentation as Laodicea is not stated, nor when it will be spewed out of the Lord’s mouth. See Introduction.) If one of these falls morally into correspondence with Laodicea the Lord could not sanction it by His presence in the midst, for in such a case the saints could no longer be said to be gathered unto His name.
If, however, the Lord has definitely taken His place outside of Laodicea, He has not abandoned any of His own who failing to discern that the Lord has departed may still be inside. Hence He says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock.” (vs. 20) Full of long-suffering and grace, He waits upon any who may have been carried away by the seductions around them, lulled to sleep by the atmosphere in which they have been living, and with urgent appeals seeks to arouse them out of their lethargy. He thus stands at the door, the door closed upon Himself, and knocks if perchance any true-hearted but slothful saint, like the bride in the Song of Solomon (Song of Sol. 5), may respond, should there be even one such who shall hear His voice and open the door, He says, “I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (vs. 20). The order of the possible response is to be observed. There is first hearing His voice—His call to repentance—and then opening the door. Now the bride heard His voice, but lacked the energy to open the door until it was too late. It is not enough, therefore, to hear His voice; many believers found, alas! in evil associations do this but remain where they are; and so it may be with saints in Laodicea, unless, indeed, in His mercy the Lord lays hold of them as the angels did Lot in Sodom and compels them to open the door.
The door being opened (“if any man.... open the door” (vs. 20)), how rich the blessing realized. First, “I will come in to him”—not into Laodicea; its doom is sealed; but in to him, to him who by grace had opened the door. And coming in He will manifest all His grace. “I will sup with him” (vs. 20); that is, “I will come down to where he is, and have fellowship with him in his things.” How wondrous His condescension! But if He first will sup with him who has opened the door, it is that He may lead him up into the higher blessedness of supping with Himself, of having fellowship with Him in His things, communion with Himself, the most exalted privilege though intended for every saint, and the most blissful enjoyment, that any can possess whether in time or in eternity; for it is the realization of our perfect association with Christ.
The promise to the overcomer is of a very different character from that in Philadelphia. It is, “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” (vs. 21). Overcoming here would be hearing the voice of Christ, and opening the door to Him; for this involves a judgment of the Laodicean condition, and separation from it morally. Everyone then, thus overcoming, should sit with Christ in His throne. He Himself had overcome (see John 12:3131Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. (John 12:31), John 16:3333These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33), though this is not all that He overcame) and was set down with His Father in His throne; and in like manner the overcomer in Laodicea should sit with Him in His throne. It is promised association with Himself in the public display of glory in the kingdom. Infinite grace surely, and yet a very different character of blessedness from the intimate and heavenly association with Himself promised to the Philadelphian overcomer. Both alike are the gifts of His grace, but the gifts are manifestly in relation to the path and testimony of each while upon the earth, in the scene of the Lord’s rejection.
Finally, as in the three previous communications, the proclamation to him that “hath an ear” (vs. 22) closes the letter. And this proclamation is still sounded out, with increased energy, among the people of God. Oh! that it might both find and create many an opened ear, that the hearers rousing themselves from their supineness and indifference may listen to “what the Spirit saith unto the churches,” (vs. 22) and that, through grace, they may receive strength to judge all they are connected with by the unerring standard of the living Word; so that, taking their place apart from the evil, they may have the girded loins and the burning lights while awaiting the Lord’s return. (It is to be particularly observed that there is no allusion to the coming of Christ in this letter. The reason may be that, as stated in the Introduction, while the Lord may morally reject that which will constitute Laodicea at the rapture of the saints, He may not execute His public judgment upon it till after the saints are with Himself, just as Jerusalem was not publicly judged for more than thirty years after Pentecost. He will then let the world see that He has removed His candlestick.)