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Today’s Manifestation of Laodicea

Part Two: The Reception of Laodicea

Jesus’ words to the Laodicean Church found in Revelation 3:15,16 are straightforward and clearly reveal His dissatisfaction with its members and their labor: I know thy works that thou are neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. The surrounding area near the historic city of Laodicea was known for its therapeutic natural hot springs and cold springs, but the city of Laodicea had neither to offer. Its natural flowing water was tepid and polluted with sulfur. It was nauseating to anyone who attempted to drink it. Jesus chose this city to reveal a profound characteristic of the Church during its last days on earth.

In this passage, the Greek word interpreted as “cold” denotes a reduction of temperature by evaporation. Jesus is describing those who have become apathetic because they have lost the passion they once had. The Greek word interpreted as “hot” indicates a movement toward boiling. Our word “zest” is a derivative of that Greek word. Jesus is describing those who have a zeal for Him and His truth. The Greek word interpreted “lukewarm” denotes a reflection of the environmental temperature. When Jesus calls the Laodicean Church lukewarm, He is not saying the church is apathetic, as is often taught. He communicated that concept by using the word “cold”. When He uses the word “lukewarm” He is saying that the church reflects the climate of the world around it. Hence, the Laodicean Church is the culture-sensitive church. It is the church that so embraces the lies of the culture that it has no distinction from its environment. By its environmental standards, it has need of nothing! Yet it nauseates the Lord. According to Jesus’ words, He would prefer the cold, dead life-style and worship of a church which has lost the passion it once had to the life-style and worship of the culture-sensitive church! Those are certainly not pleasant words to the church that has need of nothing!

Paul warned the believers in Romans 12:2 not to be conformed to the world. In his notes on this verse, Kenneth Wuest says that the word “conformed” means masquerading an outward appearance that does not come from within nor is representative of what is within. He contends that “the modernism of your appearance nullifies the fundamentalism of your doctrine.” In other words, when a church takes on the appearance of the culture in which it resides, it nullifies the truths it claims. When a church employs the structure of the world’s educational system, the methods of the world’s businesses, and the entertainment of the world’s stars, the church is actually denying the truths it preaches concerning holiness and separation. The Greek word Paul used that is interpreted “world” means age or time. Paul is saying that we should neither adjust ourselves, our church structure and methods, nor our worship to the age or time in which we live.

In our youth, we were constantly being challenged not to be conformed to the world. At our camp meetings, we were challenged to burn any items that we possessed that connected us with the world’s value system. The separation in our lives guaranteed that the members of our youth group were not also the popular “in” group at school. But when we went to seminary and encountered people from outside the “Bible-Belt”, we met plenty of seminary students who dressed in and possessed many of those items we were challenged to burn. Our eyes were opened to the opportunity to be believers and to be popular in secular settings at the same time. We did not know then what we realize now: We were being invited to change our church membership from the church at Philadelphia to the church at Laodicea. The success and acceptance was tempting, but the leanness to our souls that such a change would bring served as a barrier. Sadly, when we returned to our “Bible-Belt” home, progressiveness had reached our own church. The phrase “being worldly” is a foreign concept now in almost all of our churches. Pastors enjoy their own worldliness and community prestige far too much to speak against it.

Contemporary (meaning “with the times”) and progressive are popular words in the Laodicean Church. Both words are synonymous with being conformed to the world. From the days of Adam’s children the earth has been inhabited by two kingdoms: the progressive kingdom of the world and the stable kingdom of God. In Genesis 4:16-24 Cain left the presence of God and built a city named after his son. His kingdom abounded and became a highly developed culture with advancing tools, entertainment, and sin. On the other hand, Adam’s children through his son Seth chose to call upon the name of the Lord. They did not seek an advanced culture, but were humble men who met the needs of their families through what God had created (Genesis 4:25-5:32). The advancing culture of Cain’s descendants so polluted the world that it became necessary for God to destroy them through the flood of Noah’s time. After the flood, a new kingdom of this world was developed. Nimrod, a man who became mighty in the earth and was an aggressive hunter against the Lord, was its leader (Genesis 10:8,9). His advancing culture became so evil that God found it necessary to destroy communication between the people to prevent the evil culture from permeating the whole earth (Genesis 11:1-9). God then established a covenant with Abraham for his descendants to be God’s kingdom on earth. God made them a special people and put them in a special place for His special purpose. He desired for all the nations of the world who would pass through the crossroads of Israel to see the life-style of His people and to embrace Him as their God. Sadly, instead of Israel impacting all who traveled through their land, they became enamored with the life-style and possessions of the progressive kingdom of the world. Their life-style became so polluted by the kingdom of the world that God set them aside and chose the Church to be His kingdom on the earth. Jesus prayed that His Church would not be of the world, even though they were left in the world (John 17). Yet his assessment of the Laodicean Church was that it had also become polluted by the progressive culture of the kingdom of the world. The sad thing is those within the church do not even know it. Yet on the positive side, the Lord still has His remnant: those who will hear His voice, open the door, and sup with Him. That is “praying in Laodicea.”

Perfect Your Praying In Laodicea

God’s Word Says:

Note: We have been chosen by the Lord to stand at a most unusual time in the history of the Church. In our midst we have a very few elderly believers who have been impacted by the God-pleasing Philadelphian Church Age and those who have been impacted by Philadelphian literature. However, we also have in our midst the ever-increasing, God-nauseating, worldly Laodicean Church. Just as their descriptions would imply, these church members are at odds with one another. The elderly are labeled as those who resist change. We have even been in a conference where the pastors were told to leave the elderly in their dead churches and let them die off! It is not unusual to hear that styles and methods do not matter, that the most important thing is to reach this new generation that thinks and learns differently. Oh, that God would increase those who will stand in the ways, and see.

Tell God:
The ways in which you have sought to be contemporary and progressive.
The ways in which you have shown disrespect for the elderly in your life.
Ask God:
To give you the discernment to see the difference between the Philadelphian and Laodicean Churches.
To show you what you can do to encourage your church to be Philadelphian.
To give you freedom from your drive to be conformed to the world.
To show you specific steps to take to walk in the old paths.
To guide you to an elderly person who can impact your life through conversations about living in the Philadelphian Church Age.

Interpreting Revelation 2 and 3 as a prophetic description of seven distinct time periods in the history of the Church is often referred to as the “dispensational” view. It is a Scriptural truth revealed during the time of church history when the Church was experiencing unprecedented evangelization and missionary endeavor despite its little strength and little wealth. Jesus’ indisputable words described this type of church by saying that those who oppose it will know that I have loved thee (Revelation 3:9).

Over the past 100 years of church history the Church has once again become rich and powerful. In recent years there has also been re-interpretation of prophecies of church history, the Lord’s return, and His kingdom. There has been an unprecedented attack upon the dispensational view of prophecy. Famous Christian men proclaim that the details of prophecy are none of the believer’s business and they laugh at dispensationalists proclaiming them ignorant. Jesus’ indisputable words described this type of church by saying I will spue thee out of my mouth (Revelation 3:16). Praise the Lord that He has always had a remnant – those who embrace the truth of His Word despite world events, church wealth, or human reasoning – those who have an ear to hear what the Spirit sayeth to the churches (Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,12,22).
Both John’s documentation of Laodicea and the Church’s interpretation of Laodicea give understanding to Praying In Laodicea. But today’s manifestation of Laodicea provides more than mere understanding – it moves the remnant to the absolute necessity of Praying in Laodicea!

Today’s Manifestation of Laodicea

Part One: The Conception of Laodicea

Living in the midst of Laodicea can be much like a fish living in water who does not realize that he is wet because he has never known anything else. It is hard to believe that such a church as Laodicea could exist. Surely no one would choose to be a part of the Laodicean church, yet its numbers are immense. It is filled with those who, like the fish, know nothing else. Jesus’ indisputable words in Revelation 3:14-22 reveal how this nauseating church was conceived, how it received evil, how it perceived itself, and how it was deceived.

The conception of Laodicea is revealed by contrast to Jesus’ manifestation of Himself to the church. He appears to Laodicea as the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God (v 14). As the Amen, He is the final authority. As the faithful and true witness, He is free from falsehood. As the beginning of the creation of God, He is not a new progressive idea. He proclaims by His appearance that truth is not alterable by the environment of the world.

The beloved church of Philadelphia became the distasteful church of Laodicea by embracing the lies of the worldly culture. The evangelistic and missionary successes of Philadelphia were God ordained. Jesus said that in spite of their little strength, He opened doors for the Philadelphian Church that no man could shut. (See Revelation 3:7.) When the Philadelphian Church became enamored with its successes, it turned its eyes from God to success and became Laodicea. By embracing the lie that success is of supreme importance, the Laodicean Church rejected the truth that God should be of supreme importance. Once the twisted truth or iniquity was embraced, the iniquity abounded. (See Matthew 24:12.) The church of Laodicea has become a church that bases much of its functioning on ever-increasing lies.

Until the days of the Laodicean Church, practice of Christian worship was based in the family unit and celebrated on a corporate basis of joining the families together in a local church. Paul provided guidelines for how the family was to function both in the home and in the church. Toward the end of the 1800s the world entered into what has been called the industrial revolution, an event which changed almost every aspect of life. Before the mid-1800s, birthdays were neither celebrated nor designated with any importance. The 1850 US Census did not record ages. Children did not regularly associate with other children their same age. They related to others of various ages. The whole family attended church and social events together. There were no schedule demands. It was not until 1884 that 25 nations met in Washington, D.C. to establish global time zones and the 24-hour time keeping. Prior to that time, days were determined by the sun’s rising and setting. But the employment demands of the industrial revolution changed how the family functioned.

At the same time on the educational front, Darwin’s theory of evolution became the sophisticated replacement of the truth of creation. While the church rejected this lie on the surface, as time progressed it embraced many of its influences. Horace Mann and John Dewey, often referred to as the father of modern education, utilized the new emphasis on time and the evolutionary thinking to mark educational progress with the passing of time. They believed that the aging from a child to a man was a picture of the evolutionary process of life. Based on their philosophy, for the first time in history, students were separated by age so they could progress with others just like themselves and not be “threatened” by more mature children. This new method of education also changed how the family functioned. Children were no longer secure in their family unit. Their security began to center around their peers. By the 1930s an adolescent subculture was formed. Teens had their own music, literature, clothing styles, language, and etiquette. By the 1970s the youth subculture became the dominant culture in our society. Children longed to be teens. Adults longed to be identified with them. Immaturity, rather than maturity, had become the goal.

While the progressive world embraced the lie of the supremacy of success in both commerce and education, interest in the Philadelphian Church, robed in the beauty of truth and holiness, began to decrease. Sadly, the Church did not remain confident in Jesus’ words in Revelation 3:7 when He said that not only does He open doors that no man can shut, but He shuts doors that no man can open! But the Church embraced the same lie that the progressive world embraced. Success was to be supreme – not the Lord and His true Word. Not wanting to loose its success of the past, the Church chose to cater to the youth of the culture by developing any new idea it could find to entice their participation. This approach destroyed the family units within the church. The very backbone of the church had been the family unit. Fathers who had remained faithful to lead family worship had to finally cave in to the demands of the church schedule. Believers who had remained faithful to personal devotional times yielded to the tyranny of the urgent demanded by the church schedule. Rather than holding to the truth of Scripture that the elders were to be respected, the Church embraced the lie that the youth subculture was to be served. Discovering that this priority to the youth only held them until they became adults, churches began to search for young, inexperienced pastors who would attract the young couples. Relying upon novices as pastors has only made the Church more vulnerable to the lies of the world’s culture.

As always with abounding iniquity, or belief in lies, the Laodicean Church has moved from one lie to another, to another, and to another. The values of the Philadelphian Church are hard to find in Laodicea where prideful success is worshiped and humility is spurned, where youth is glorified and elders are disregarded, where buildings are immense and needs are disguised – if even allowed to exist! The Laodicean Church became Laodicea one lie at a time!

Perfect Your Praying In Laodicea

God’s Word Says:

Note: There are several indications in Jesus’ words to the first three churches that imply they will not be around when Jesus returns. However, He speaks of returning for the churches of Thyratira (the Roman Catholic Church), of Sardis (the Reformed Church), and of Philadelphia (the Missionary Church). Laodicea (the Culture-Conformed Church) will also be in existence upon His return. Therefore, today there are four types of churches in existence.

Tell God:
The reason you are a member of your local church.
The distinctives you hold dear if you are searching for a church home.

Ask God:
To teach you to love that which has little strength.
To teach you to discern the folly of success and having need of nothing.

The Church’s Interpretation of Laodicea

From the very beginning of Jesus’ explanation during His earthly ministry that He was going to return to set up an earthly kingdom, His followers embraced the truth. Even though they would jump to misinterpretation of various facts of that truth, they readily refocused and never doubted or denied that Jesus would return to establish an earthly kingdom. By the end of the First Century when Jesus appeared to John and shared His revelation of additional facts concerning that truth, those original followers were dying off. Yet, the newer believers were just as faithful to the imminent return of Jesus as they faced persecution and widespread demise.

It was not until about 250 AD that one of the church fathers conceived the idea that the words of Scripture were but the “husks” in which was hid the “kernel” of Scriptural truth. He began to allegorize and spiritualize Scripture. The Church largely began to cease anticipating the Lord’s return and made an attempt to establish an earthly kingdom by making Christianity a state religion under the rule of Constantine. Many believed Constantine’s reign began the Millennium promised in Scripture and that Old Testament Jewish promises were fulfilled in the Church.

The fact that there was no longer a nation of Israel made such an erroneous conclusion easy. Of course, the book of Revelation created problems for this interpretation. So a move was made to discredit the authorship of Revelation and to have it removed from the Canon of Scripture. When this move repeatedly failed, the Roman Catholic Church decided to lock up the Scriptures by allowing only the trained clergy to handle them. The Bible became a sealed book, and the earth was plunged into a millennium commonly called the Dark Ages. Throughout those apostate days of the Church, there remained a remnant of believers who held to the full truth of God’s Word. In 1384, John Wycliffe, a member of that remnant, printed the Scripture for every man and the work of the Reformers revived belief in the premillennial return of Christ. Unfortunately the Reformation was plagued by religious strife that created many new sects. The result was a move from spirituality to rationalism and once again belief erred toward the Church being the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises.

Why has the Church throughout history been so unstable concerning the Lord’s return for His Church? Revelation 2 and 3 contains no distinct prophetic time-table. In the prophetic words of Jeremiah in the Old Testament, distinct timing of 70 years was given for the Babylonian captivity (Jeremiah 25:12; 29:10). At the end of his book, the writer of 2 Chronicles claims that Cyrus’s command for the Israelites to return to Jerusalem was a fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy that their captivity would last for 70 years. This distinct dating also allowed Daniel to recognize that the return to Israel from the Babylonian captivity was at hand (Daniel 9:2). In turn, Daniel’s prophecy included distinct timing of weeks and months that pinpointed the coming of the Messiah. In the prophetic words focusing on the culmination of history in Revelation 4 through 22, distinct timing of months and days were recorded. In His mercy and grace, the Lord has His purposes for such revelations. Yet in the prophetic writing of Revelation 2 and 3 describing the Church Age no method of timing was provided other than the number of seven churches.

Again, the Apostolic Church lived in expectancy of the imminent return of Christ. Although the obvious delay of Christ’s return down through church history created doubts and denials leading to re-interpreting and allegorizing, there has always been a remnant who have lived in the expectancy of Christ’s literal return for His Church and literal establishment of an earthly kingdom. During the late 1800’s – nearing the end of the beloved Philadelphian Church Age – the Holy Spirit began to quicken the enlightened believers to understand from the text of Revelation 2 and 3 that the seven churches, while literal in John’s time, were selected by Jesus to be prophetically descriptive of seven distinct time periods in the history of the Church. The clarity of this prophecy was concealed by the Lord until the fullness of time in order to maintain the watchfulness of believers throughout church history. It is the clarity of this prophecy that equips the remnant of believers to pray effectively in the Laodicean Church Age.

The previously described brief overview of church history perfectly fits into the character and environment of each of the literal seven churches Jesus addressed in Revelation 2 and 3:

• The loyal, yet loveless church of Ephesus, a city with an ever-shifting harbor, depicts the Apostolic Church of the First Century.
• The lacerated, yet longsuffering church of Smyrna, a city with repeated destruction from invaders and earthquakes, depicts the Persecuted Church under the ten Caesars between 100 and 312 AD.
• The legitimate, yet lame church of Pergamos, a city with compromise of false religions and a temple to the divinity of Julius Caesar, depicts the State Church under Constantine between 312 and 590 AD.
• The laboring, yet libertine church of Thyatira, a city with military zeal and likely strong female influence (Lydia), depicts the Roman Catholic Church begun in 590 AD plunging the world into the Dark Ages.
• The legendary, yet lifeless church of Sardis, a city with a vista of a majestic stronghold that was in reality a crumbling hill of mud, depicts the Reformed Church begun in the early 1500s AD.
• The lowly, yet luminous church of Philadelphia, a city with a founding purpose of spreading the Greek language and unity of spirit, depicts the Missionary Church begun in the mid 1700s AD.
• And the luxuriant, yet loathsome church of Laodicea, a city with successful business, prosperity, and lukewarm water, depicts the Culture-Conformed Church begun in the early part of the 1900s AD

Perfect Your Praying In Laodicea

God’s Word Says:

Note: Jesus repeats this challenge to each of the seven churches. Those who have an ear are those who are among the remnant of believers within the organized Church who do not allow the weaknesses of the organization to hinder their embrace of the truth of Scripture – even when Scripture is contradicted within the organization.

Tell God:
The items of Scriptural contradiction that have been built into your life through the Laodicean Church.

Ask God:
To replace those lies with the truth of Scripture in your life.
To keep your ear sensitive to that which the Spirit has spoken to each of these churches.