Category Archives: Letters from the Lamb

The letter to Laodicea: If you think you’re rich…

3 Replies

lettersThe letter to the church in Laodicea is the last of the seven letters in Revelation 2 and 3. The church was confident that it was healthy and prosperous, but Jesus thinks otherwise. He sees them as a needy church, maybe the neediest of the seven.

Why were the Laodiceans so self-assured? Maybe it was because their city was living a special time:

Under the Romans, the city flourished, situated as it was at the juncture of three important trade routes. The richest city in the area, Laodicea refused all aid offered by the Romans after the earthquake of A.D. 60, even though all of the surrounding cities gladly accepted the government funds and tax exemptions. Laodicea was a banking center; Roman statesman Cicero was able to cash his letters of credit when visiting the city in 50 B.C. It was an industrial center, home to important textile manufacturing. The water around Laodicea was rich in minerals and was especially suited for the dyeing of wool; Laodicea became known for a high-grade black wool, known for its sheen and softness. At least four types of garments were made from this wool and marketed around the world. Guilds and trade unions were influential and numerous in Laodicea, one of them called “The Most August Guild of the Wool Washers.” The other source of fame was that, like Pergamum, Laodicea had an outstanding medical school. This school was known for the Tephra Phrygia, a salve for the eyes which was sold in tablet form and exported throughout the Roman empire. Prepared from poppies which grew around Laodicea, the powder was shaped into little rolls called kollurion, a Greek word which appears in Revelation 3:18.

(Letters From The Lamb, pp. 149-50)

When Jesus wrote to the church, he told them that they weren’t rich at all, that they were wretched, pitiful and poor. To this rich city, Jesus tells them they need to buy pure gold from him. To this textile center, he tells them that they are naked and need to buy clothes from him. To this center famous for eye salve, he tells them they are blind and need to buy eye medicine from him.

The two richest churches of the group receive no praise from Jesus. What the world counts as riches mean nothing to Jesus. Our treasure is not measured with dollar signs. Having stuff tends to create more of a barrier between us and God. In the parable of the sower, Jesus talked about the deceitfulness of riches that could choke out the faith of the Christian. The church in Laodicea seems to be a living example of that trap.

The Letter to Philadelphia: God’s people vs. the earth dwellers

9 Replies

lettersIn the book of Revelation, a contrast is made between God’s people and “those who live on earth.” In Letters From The Lamb I wrote:

Since the Philadelphians have been faithful, Jesus says that he is going to protect them from a time of trial that is coming on those that live on the earth. While at first glance we might think that all of us “live on the earth,” a survey of Revelation will show us that a distinction is made between those that dwell on the earth and those that dwell in heaven. The first term refers to the worldly people, those that reject God and follow the rebellious worship of the emperor. Those who dwell in heaven, on the other hand, are the citizens of heaven, even those that are still living their lives on this planet. They are in the world, but not of the world. Their passports and driver’s licenses may state an address here, but their actual citizenship is in heaven. So when Jesus brings punishment on those that live on the earth, his people are not included in that punishment.

(Letters From The Lamb, p. 138)

We are part of a kingdom that isn’t of this earth. Our loyalties lie elsewhere. We seek a heavenly city, not the country that we were born in. Living as aliens on this earth is an important part of our identity as Christians.

The letter to Philadelphia: What key does Jesus have?

2 Replies

lettersIn this sixth of the seven letters to the seven churches, Jesus says that he is the holy one and the true one. He also mentions something that he is holding:

Jesus also identifies himself as the one who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. Again, those familiar with the Old Testament would recognize these words, this time a quote from the book of Isaiah: “In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.” (Isaiah 22:20-22) In the case of Eliakim, the key to the house of David would have been a large wooden key which would have been worn like a sash. It denoted authority, like carrying the signet ring of the king. The key would have been used to bar and unbar the palace doors, controlling who had access to the king and who could enter or leave the palace grounds.6 In the case of Jesus, we need to remember that each of the letters refers to chapter 1 of Revelation. In the vision that John had of Jesus, Jesus had keys in his hand, the keys to death and Hades. It seems likely that Jesus is referring to the same keys here; the reference to the key of David is made to emphasize the permanence of Jesus’ actions regarding death and Hades. Now that he has opened that door, no one can shut it again, until Jesus himself decides to do so. Christians can face death without fear, for their Lord holds the key to let them out of the realm of death. Their stay in Hades will be but a temporary one, for they know the One who holds the key. When he opens the door, no one can shut it again. When Christ spoke with Peter about having the keys of the kingdom, he also spoke about the gates of Hades, saying that they would never be able to prevail against his church. Jesus opens the door to the place where the dead are, and once he has opened it, no one can shut it.

(Letters From The Lamb, pp. 135-36)

Jesus was calling his followers to be willing to be sacrificed. He reassures them that he has the key that will free them from death and grant them access to God. It’s a promise that was made to the whole church, that the gates of Hades would not prevail against it. Jesus holds the key. Any door that he opens will remain open. And he has thrown open the door to the realm of death. It cannot hold those that Jesus sets free. (And that’s great news!)

The letter to Philadelphia: Trouble with tremors

Leave a reply

lettersThe part of Turkey that was once known as Asia Minor is an area that has historically been earthquake prone. Philadelphia was especially hard hit, as I note in Letters From The Lamb:

The area around Philadelphia was very active seismically, especially in the first decades after the birth of Christ. The city was hit by a violent earthquake in 17 A.D. and strong tremors continued to be felt in the city for years. The historian Strabo commented that the buildings in the city were structurally unsound; he was amazed at the persistence of the people of Philadelphia, who sought ways to counteract through construction the frequent movement of the ground. Strabo questioned the sanity of those who chose to return to the city, noting that many opted to live in the open countryside in order to avoid the dangers of falling masonry. The terror of the earthquake and the ensuing aftershocks had a lasting effect on the people of Philadelphia and undoubtedly hurt the growth of the city and its economy.

(Letters From The Lamb, pp. 120-21)

Later, Jesus is going to promise the faithful that they will be pillars in God’s temple and “Never again will he leave it.” Those words would have had special meaning to a people used to having to flee from their lives when the earth began to shake.

The letter to Sardis: The Book of Life

4 Replies

lettersJesus talks to the Christians of Sardis about the Book of Life. That’s a concept that may sound a little strange to us, but it’s pretty common in the Bible. In Letters to the Lamb, I note:

These victors will never have their names blotted out of the Book of Life. Ancient cities kept a book of names, names of the inhabitants of the city. If someone’s name was not found in the book, they were not considered to be citizens of that city. If someone committed a serious crime or a treasonous act against the city, their names were removed from the book. In Exodus 32, Moses refers to God’s book, asking to be blotted out of the book if the rest of Israel was not forgiven of their rebellion. In the book of Psalms, the Psalmist says of his enemies: “May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.” (Psalms 69:28) The prophet Daniel spoke of a book of names, when he wrote: “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.” (Daniel 12:1) In the New Testament, Paul refers to the Book of Life in Philippians when he writes: “Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.” (Philippians 4:3) This is the first reference in Revelation to God’s book, but it is mentioned several other times in this prophecy. Those who are in God’s book are citizens of his holy city, destined for eternal life. The fact that he can still blot the names of Christians out of his book should be a sobering one. The possibility of losing our citizenship through a lack of vigilance is a very real one, one that should motivate us to pay careful attention to what is said to the church in Sardis.

(Letters From The Lamb, pp. 120-21)

I want to be known as a citizen of God’s city. I want my name to be found in the Book of Life, not a blotted-out smudge where my name once was. Like the people of Sardis, I need to be alert spiritually rather than sleeping in complacency. “When the roll is called up yonder,” I want my name to be found.