“I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.”
The reference to Gold being refined in the fire is the process of purging the dross or impurities out of the gold so that it will be pure gold. The imputities of course are figurative of our sinful nature being purged from our lives, which is accomplished by on-going trials and tribulation that the Lord allows the believer to go through which produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. All believers are being transformed into the image of Christ i.e. like gold we are being purged of all of our imputities, which is the life-long process of being made holy i.e. sanctification. However, if the Laodicians and those currenlty guilty of this will repent and submit themselves to the Lord for refinement, then they will become spiritually rich and will be dressed in white.
The reference to the “white robes to wear” was a promise given in the letter to the church of Sardis for those who were not spiritually sleeping, as well as for those who repent and are victorious.
“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent”
The above demonstrates that the Lord’s discipline is not out of animosity or anger, but out of love for the Laodicean church and all believers.
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
The message above is not only to the spiritually dead Laodicean church, but is an invintation to all who will open the door. Notice that Jesus stands at the door and knocks, which means that the individual has to respond to the Lord’s knock by opening the door and inviting him it. The meaning of when the Lord says “I will come in and eat with that person and he with him” is refering to the Lord taking up residence within that person in the person of the Holy Spirit and having fellowship with him.
“To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
As previously stated, the letters to the individual churches with their rebukes was directed to all seven churches, as well as to the entire church period. It is meant for churches and the individuals in them to analyse themselves and apply the command to repent if they find themselves guilty of any of those conditions.
Likewise, for those who are victorious within those seven churches, as well as to every individual throughout the entire church period, the promises are to them as well.
Here, the pormise is to sit with Christ on His throne i.e. to rule with Him. I don’t think that we can truly fathom what we have inherited as those belonging to Christ.
Recap:
Ephesus – The Love they once had was replaced by cold religious orthedoxy, basically going through the motions of religious practices. They did have in their favor that they hated the practices of the Nicolaitans, which was the deliberate ritual of eating foods sacrificed to idols and with it the committing of sexual immorality.
Smyrna – As with Philadelphia, they received no rebukes from the Lord. They were the opposite of the church in Laodicea in that they were materially poor, but spiritually rich.
Pergamum – They had people there who held to the teachings of Baalam who taught Balak, as with the Israelites, were teaching and practicing the deliberate eating of foods sacrificed to idols and as apart of that ritual the committing of sexual immorality. They also had those who held to the techings of the Nicholaitans who were practicing and teeaching the same thing.
Thyatira – They tolerated that prophetess by whose teachings were misleading the servants of Christ to commit sexual immorality and the diliberate eating of food sacrificed to idols.
Sardis – They had a reputation for being alive, but were spiritually dead (going through the motions of religion) and were commanded to wake up and strengthen what positive spiritual aspects remained and were about to die i.e.pay attention to your deteriourating condition and repent.
Philadelphia – As with Sardis, this church received no rebukes from the Lord. They had a little strength, yet kept the Lord’s word and had not denied His name. They were also given the promise that because they had endured patiently, that the Lord would keep them out of the hour of trial that was/is going to come upon the whole world, which is another designation for the day of the Lord.
Laodicea – The lukewarm church, and that because they were materially rich church, which is what they were trusting in. And because of that they were spiritually poor, not looking to the Lord, but finding comfort and security in their riches. They are admonished to repent of their dead spiritual state which is the result of trusting in their riches, allowing for the process of being refined by fire.
The letters to the seven churches represents and concludes the “what is now” time frame of what John was told to write in Rev.1:19 and thus brings an end to the church period which we are still currently in. What follows next beginning in chapter 4, is the “what must take place later” i.e. after the church period.
The reference to Gold being refined in the fire is the process of purging the dross or impurities out of the gold so that it will be pure gold. The imputities of course are figurative of our sinful nature being purged from our lives, which is accomplished by on-going trials and tribulation that the Lord allows the believer to go through which produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. All believers are being transformed into the image of Christ i.e. like gold we are being purged of all of our imputities, which is the life-long process of being made holy i.e. sanctification. However, if the Laodicians and those currenlty guilty of this will repent and submit themselves to the Lord for refinement, then they will become spiritually rich and will be dressed in white.
The reference to the “white robes to wear” was a promise given in the letter to the church of Sardis for those who were not spiritually sleeping, as well as for those who repent and are victorious.
“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent”
The above demonstrates that the Lord’s discipline is not out of animosity or anger, but out of love for the Laodicean church and all believers.
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
The message above is not only to the spiritually dead Laodicean church, but is an invintation to all who will open the door. Notice that Jesus stands at the door and knocks, which means that the individual has to respond to the Lord’s knock by opening the door and inviting him it. The meaning of when the Lord says “I will come in and eat with that person and he with him” is refering to the Lord taking up residence within that person in the person of the Holy Spirit and having fellowship with him.
“To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
As previously stated, the letters to the individual churches with their rebukes was directed to all seven churches, as well as to the entire church period. It is meant for churches and the individuals in them to analyse themselves and apply the command to repent if they find themselves guilty of any of those conditions.
Likewise, for those who are victorious within those seven churches, as well as to every individual throughout the entire church period, the promises are to them as well.
Here, the pormise is to sit with Christ on His throne i.e. to rule with Him. I don’t think that we can truly fathom what we have inherited as those belonging to Christ.
Recap:
Ephesus – The Love they once had was replaced by cold religious orthedoxy, basically going through the motions of religious practices. They did have in their favor that they hated the practices of the Nicolaitans, which was the deliberate ritual of eating foods sacrificed to idols and with it the committing of sexual immorality.
Smyrna – As with Philadelphia, they received no rebukes from the Lord. They were the opposite of the church in Laodicea in that they were materially poor, but spiritually rich.
Pergamum – They had people there who held to the teachings of Baalam who taught Balak, as with the Israelites, were teaching and practicing the deliberate eating of foods sacrificed to idols and as apart of that ritual the committing of sexual immorality. They also had those who held to the techings of the Nicholaitans who were practicing and teeaching the same thing.
Thyatira – They tolerated that prophetess by whose teachings were misleading the servants of Christ to commit sexual immorality and the diliberate eating of food sacrificed to idols.
Sardis – They had a reputation for being alive, but were spiritually dead (going through the motions of religion) and were commanded to wake up and strengthen what positive spiritual aspects remained and were about to die i.e.pay attention to your deteriourating condition and repent.
Philadelphia – As with Sardis, this church received no rebukes from the Lord. They had a little strength, yet kept the Lord’s word and had not denied His name. They were also given the promise that because they had endured patiently, that the Lord would keep them out of the hour of trial that was/is going to come upon the whole world, which is another designation for the day of the Lord.
Laodicea – The lukewarm church, and that because they were materially rich church, which is what they were trusting in. And because of that they were spiritually poor, not looking to the Lord, but finding comfort and security in their riches. They are admonished to repent of their dead spiritual state which is the result of trusting in their riches, allowing for the process of being refined by fire.
The letters to the seven churches represents and concludes the “what is now” time frame of what John was told to write in Rev.1:19 and thus brings an end to the church period which we are still currently in. What follows next beginning in chapter 4, is the “what must take place later” i.e. after the church period.