(Luke 18:8). It is no wonder that He says that He will vomit them out! Spiritually speaking, Jesus Christ declares that there was not a more poverty-stricken community. One is from the all-wise, all-seeing God, while the other is from material and spiritually weak men. This provided Laodicea with unlimited opportunities for trade but caused other significant problems. How many understood the symbolism that day when Jesus spoke concerning the Holy Spirit? Up or down, heaven or hell, black or white, lost or saved! Jesus identifies them as having kept God's Word, not denied His name, and kept His command to persevere. All the messages apply to each of us as individuals, and it is a matter of "if the shoes fits, wear it." The Laodiceans produced a glossy, black wool that was prized by the wealthy all over the world. There were none for Laodicea. Two things are sure: 1. Paul says "Jerusalem above . It was the meal that Christ would share with the man who answered his knock, no hurried meal, but that where people lingered in fellowship. We should never assume that God considers us Philadelphians. The other side of that same concept is that, even if we agree that others are still part of the true church, we are still better than they are—indeed, everybody else is Laodicean by comparison. As Ramsay says: "It only needed peace to make Laodicea a great commercial and financial center." In Ephesians 5 we are told that we are "bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh.". Had the symbolism become obscured in people's minds by the passage of time? ", Find more Bible verses about Laodicea: This is not the beginning of the creation of God, in the sense that Jesus Christ is an object. They are lukewarm—good for nothing but vomiting. In addition, the Spirit has no familial relationship to Christians. Hierapolis was famous for its hot springs (which are still there). We cannot say that that meaning is impossible and yet it does not seem to fit the context entirely, for the atmosphere of the passage is warning and love. About six miles away in Hierapolis were hot springs, but that water, too, was lukewarm when it reached Laodicea. The Laodicean solution? Unfortunately, Laodicea was not established near an adequate water supply. The Laodicean must compromise. They are a gauge of one's witness and spiritual state. 2. Great baths were built. Romans loved their spa, leisurely soaking in the hot water. Remember Christ describes a spiritual condition. The "works", of the Laodicean church were as worthless as the city . The Spirit, though, is not a person but a gift of God, the mind and power of God working in and through us (II Timothy 1:7). Get information and homework help with millions of articles in our FREE, online library. In our heart of hearts we believe that the stern words cannot possibly be meant for us and that the promises are too good to be true for us. The World, the Church, and Laodiceanism. Laodicea prided itself on three things; and each is taken in turn and shown at its true value. The hot mineral water was brought down from Hierapolis and used by the textile industry. Why had God rather us to be hot or cold rather than lukewarm? It was about 40 miles from Ephesus. That is the way in which the Church at Laodicea affected Jesus Christ. All seven of them are admonished to repent, hold fast, or remain faithful. An aqueduct carried cold water from the city of Colossae. And you know what happens when there isn't water. Though not directly stated in these verses, the only reason mankind will respond like this is because God will pour out His Holy Spirit on all of humanity! 3:18 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. Recall the hallmarks of Babylon: pride, self-glorification, reliance on wealth, satiety, complacency, avoidance of suffering. Water had to be piped in to Laodicea. We should think of this in terms of biblical symbolism: Water represents God's Holy Spirit. Found inside – Page 141Indeed, it's hard to imagine how the Israelites could have been so blind to the ... People staggered from town to town for water but did not get enough to ... The comment like has allusions to "the Laodicean water supply, which was lukewarm—particularly unappealing in contrast to the cold stream-fed water in nearby Colossae and the hot springs in Hierapolis, which were perhaps valued for more pleasurable bathing or medicinal usefulness."1 The city of Laodicea was not seated near the preferred . One cannot become "rich and increased with goods" by being lazy! This is why Jehovah Witnesses distinguish between God the Father, as the one true God Jehovah, and Jesus Christ as "a god" whom He created. Providing quality service and clean water is our top priority. Found insideIn Him, creation finds its beginning. Laodicea did not have its own local water supply. Aqueducts carried cold water from Colosse and hot spring water from ... 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. How did you react? By the time it arrived at Laodicea it was lukewarm and provoked nausea. Is There a True Church? Laodicea is described as being materialistic, self-satisfied, no longer interested in doing God's work whether it is in their personal lives or as a public proclamation. Revelation 2:19-20 presents Thyatira as growing in good works, but its members tolerate heresy and are guilty of sexual immorality. They are simply doing their own thing while still professing to believe. Why? Many of the Spirit's attributes can be shown to originate in the Father or the Son. In what ways is your current level of wealth affecting your spiritual condition? This provided Laodicea with unlimited opportunities for trade but caused other significant problems. It mass-produced cheap outer garments. Humanly speaking, anyone would say that there was not a more prosperous town in Asia Minor. . Two of them, Pergamos and Thyatira, receive a lesser commendation and fairly strong rebukes for sexual immorality and allowing deceivers into the congregation. What does lukewarm water do? What does a composite picture of these congregations reveal? We see the pleading of Christ. The Letter of Aristeas gives us solid proof that the aqueduct was in full operation as early as 278 BC.. a. Although I don't go into details with the other churches as to how they relate to us now, I believe Laodicea is a great representation of the western church "system" today. Found inside – Page 1A veteran archaeologist sheds light on the biblical text by examining archaeological discoveries. He is still working on us! These are not in any particular order. Water had to be piped in to Laodicea. Their problem is a faulty setting of priorities. It relied on two nearby cities for its water: The city of Colossae, which was southeast of Laodicea: they had cool mineral springs. The Flood Is Upon Us! The wealth of the Laodicean is not the problem. It depicts the time when the whole world will go through the gates of righteousness, recognizing Christ as Savior, rejoicing in those God sends to teach them and praising God for His mercy in giving them salvation. Beyond this point lay a broad valley where Lydia, Phrygia and Caria met. (From Forerunner Commentary). We say, "Amen," at the end of a prayer. He feels he has it good there! Each judge looked for what was most important to him and thus made contrasting judgments. Water from the hot springs of Hierapolis was … One of those places was Colossae, which brought cold water into the city. "The beginning of the creation of God." LAODICEA (means peoples rights) 1850-PRESENT (Eli 1914-Present) (Dan 1850-Now) Time period predicted by Paul. The Laodiceans are largely derived from a base that came from the Philadelphians, making them weaker still, due to their lackadaisical inattention to their relationships with God. We work hard to ensure that water is there every time you turn the tap. There is no covering for the conduct of their lives here. It generalizes the message of the letters. Found insideThe Laodiceans would have clearly understood that Jesus was calling them ineffective ... Laodicea had become like its own water supply: stagnant, lukewarm, ... We are to live by every word of God. Their second business was medicine. Lack of water, a major problem for the city, had been overcome by channeling water down from hot springs some distance away. It was thus that Hanum treated the servants of David (2 Samuel 10:4). Not surprisingly, many have suggested a possible local reference here, "a play on words, contrasting what may have been the tepid water of the aqueduct at Laodicea with the possibly fresher and colder water at Colossae and with the very hot water of the cascades at Hierapolis" (Finegan 1981:182)." (6) Tepid water was not refreshing at all. He is the ultimate Judge. This phrase says to every one of us: "All these things are meant for you. It may be that gold tried in the fire stands for faith for it is thus that Peter describes faith (1 Peter 1:7). He allows him to go through the fire, the Great Tribulation, to chasten him for his idolatry, to remind him of his true priorities, and to give him the opportunity to repent. If that is the picture here, this phrase contains a warning and tells men to have a care, for Jesus Christ the Judge and King is at the door. Upriver from Laodicea were located the hot springs of Hierapolis which was six miles to the north. The water started out cold in a nearby mountain, but after it traveled through the six-mile underground … John 1:51; 3:3, 5, 11). Laodicea is situated on the long spur of a hill between the narrow valleys of the small rivers Asopus and Caprus, which discharge their waters into the Lycus. This should cause anyone who considers himself a Philadelphian to take a long, hard look at himself in the light of Scripture. By having its tenuous water supply cut off, the city was at the mercy of its attacker. Found inside – Page 10In fact, it was water—or the lack thereof—that set Laodicea apart. Unlike its neighbors, Laodicea had no springs at all. It had to import its water via ... At Derbe it split: One leg went to the south through Damascus and on into Egypt; the other leg struck across the east to Mesopotamia, the ancient home of Babylon. . He has made witnessing our responsibility. But unlike its neighbors, Laodicea received its water via aqueduct. These two industries produced a third that multiplied their already vast wealth—banking. Ancient Laodicea's main line of defense was conciliation and compromise! Found inside – Page 142The water was piped from there to Laodicea but its “tepidness and mineral ... Hemer observes: “The Jews of Laodicea may have become so integrated with their ... This is interesting in light of what the history books record. In fact, they cornered the market in this commodity, producing tremendous wealth. As you study this letter, ask God to speak to your heart … The hot waters of nearby Hierapolis were known for their medicinal qualities, whereas Colossae was known for its cold, pure water. Let us see how the idea of discipline runs through the Bible. Their one weakness was the water supply. Great cities are usually founded on deep natural harbors or on the banks of navigable rivers where water is abundant. Jesus was probably referring to the drinking water in Laodicea. Other verses show the apostles giving praise, glory, and honor to the Father and Son without mentioning the Spirit (Romans 1:7; I Corinthians 1:1-4; Galatians 1:1-5; and so on through the epistles). The source was distant from Laodicea, so the water became lukewarm by the time it got there. 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