[Laodicea]
The final letter in the revelation
that was given to John was to the church of the
Laodiceans. To this church did I write: ‘These things says the Amen, the faithful and
true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I
know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I
would thou were cold or hot. So then
because you are lukewarm, and neither cold
nor hot, I will spue you out of my mouth.' (Rev.
3:14-15). The church of the Laodiceans portrays the
final era of the Christian dispensation. It represents
the prevailing conditions extant in the organized
church world as this age draws to a close. Insipid
lukewarmness is the chief characteristic. Because
of this I have spewed the entire organized church
out of my mouth, both Catholic and Protestant. This does
not mean I have repudiated those individuals who truly
believe in me and are yet in the organized systems. But
before the end comes, they must hear my call: ‘come out
of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her
sins, and that you receive not of her
plagues.' (Rev. 18:4).
I
am presented in this letter as the ‘faithful and true
witness’ in contrast to the unfaithfulness and distorted
witness of the Laodicean church. I am also
presented as ‘the beginning of the creation of God’
because of the inception of the new thing that I will do
as the Laodicean era comes to a close. I will raise up a
mighty witness in the remnant that is being called out
of the Babylonish church systems, and they shall
manifest the power and glory of that new creation
which is coming forth through my resurrection life.
Since I am the firstborn among many brethren, there
shall be many who will come to that measure of maturity
which will enable me to unveil them as the sons of God,
giving them immortality for their physical bodies. (Rom.
8:19, 29). Some will put on the glory of the celestial
as their bodies are changed into the likeness of my
glorious body (Phil .3:21); and others will manifest
sonship on the terrestrial plane, having their bodies
changed from corruptible to incorruptible. (I Cor.
15:40-41, 53-54).
Now notice a further characteristic
of the Laodicean period. ‘Because you say, I am rich, and
increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and know not that you are wretched, and
miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in
the fire, that you may be rich; and white
raiment, that you may be clothed, and
that the shame of your nakedness do not appear;
and anoint your eyes with eye-salve, that
you may see. As many as I love,
I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.’
(Rev. 3:-1-7-19). A contributing factor to the spiritual
lukewarmness of the present day church world is the
prosperity which abounds in most western nations. A
feeling of smug complacency has blinded the churches to
their spiritual poverty and their desperate need.
Clothed with their own self-righteousness, they know not
their nakedness in my sight. Therefore I have raised up
messengers to expose and rebuke the carnality, apostasy
and ineptness of the spiritually destitute churches. I
call for repentance! I am moving in my providence to
bring chastening through adverse conditions in civil
life and international affairs. Conditions will
become so severe that the people of the
predominantly Christian nations will either repent
or perish. It is because of my great love for those who
know not their folly and the consequences thereof
that I rebuke and chasten. I must awaken those who are
asleep and destined for destruction. Otherwise there
would be no hope.
There is a great need now for the
three things which I offer. The first is gold tried in
the fire. Gold is a symbol of true spiritual character,
brought about by the working of my Spirit and forged in
the crucible of testing experiences. I must have a
people who are completely receptive to my workings in
their inner being and thoroughly purged from the dross
of their own ways. The second is white raiment. This is
symbolic of that righteousness and purity which only I
can impart. Only those who are fully clothed with this
raiment can enter into the end-time ministry of that
spiritual Body which I am raising up. The third is
eye-salve to anoint thine eyes. Only the revelation of
my Spirit can cause you to see the mighty truths
which I would have you know in this hour. Since I
counsel you to ‘buy' of me, there is a
price which must be paid. The price is simply the
willingness to let me have your life to do with it as I
please. Only as there is complete yielding and
obedience, can I be the means of bringing forth in your life pure gold, impart to you white raiment, and
anoint your eyes to see my truth.
'Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear
my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and
will sup with him, and he with me.' (Rev. 3:20). My
people, I long to have that intimate communion with you which is described in these
words. But so few want to invite me in to take complete
control of their lives. This is the day that I am
offering to make myself real to a people as never before in
history. Will you not open your heart and let me have my
way in you? I am ready to show myself
strong on your behalf. No other
generation has had as great an opportunity as I am
offering to you in this hour. I stand at
the door and knock; the choice is yours.
And now for the final promise to
the overcomers in these seven letters. ‘To him that
overcomes 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.' (Rev. 3:21). Even though I was the very Son
of the Highest, functioning on the plane of Deity, I
emptied myself and took on the form of man, that I might
overcome as a man. Then was I highly exalted and
given a place of rulership on the throne of my Father.
This is the pattern for those who love me and let me
bring them into an overcoming experience, rising above
the spiritual level of most Christians. To ‘overcome’
means to rise above, to come up over to a higher
spiritual plane. It comes only through greater yielding
and submission to my will. The time is coming soon when
I will sit on the throne of my glory in
the heavenly Kingdom which will be set up in the realms
surrounding the earth. Then shall the overcomers of all
the church eras be exalted to sit on that throne with
me. They shall then be kings and priests to rule with me
over the earth. (Rev. 1:6, 5:10, 20:4). Truly this is
the PRIZE of the high calling; it is both joint heirship
on the plane of glorified life, and joint rulership with
me in my Kingdom. He that has an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit is saying to the church.
You will notice that in each of the
seven letters to the seven churches of Asia, it is
to the angel of the church that
I address my words. What does this mean? In the vision
which John saw, I was standing in the midst of the seven
lamps and in my right hand I held seven stars. (Rev.
1:13, 16). Then I spoke concerning this mystery: ‘The
mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and
the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the
angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks
which you saw are the seven
churches.’ (Rev. 1:20). You have already seen the
mystery of the seven churches as portraying the seven
epochs or eras of time from the apostolic church to the end of the age. Now let
me show you the mystery of the seven
angels. In its first application the seven angels are
seven heavenly beings who have been given charge over
the church during this age: one over each of the seven
epochs. In its second application the seven angels or
messengers are seven men who have been raised up: one
within each of the seven church periods with a special
commission and message for that time. Each of these men
has fulfilled his commission; the seventh and last has
finished his work. This means that a new day is breaking
and a new era is at hand. And I am now raising up
messengers to bring my people into the truths and power
of that new day. Do not look back to the past; neither
to any of the messengers of the past. But receive that
which I am making known through messengers of the new
day. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is
saying to the church.”
[end of prophecy]