ERE the Lord ascended on high He gave a promise to His disciples that the Spirit of Truth would come and guide them into all truth (John xvi. 13). At His ascension to be an Advocate (Parakletos) with the Father He promised ere He ascended that He would send another Comforter (Parakletos) who was to dwell with them and be in them (John xiv. 17). Hence when the Faithful and True Witness is delivering His messages to the Churches in Asia each of these messages ends with the words: “He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches.” It is significant that this exhortation is addressed to the Churches in Smyrna and Philadelphia, the only two Churches, which receive no word of condemnation. The Spirit, therefore, is speaking to the Churches in Asia alike when they are doing what is right and warning when they are doing wrong. It is quite evident in reading these messages that the standard by which the Churches are judged is another than that recognised by the Churches themselves for the judgment pronounced in many cases runs counter to that accepted by them.
We have already in a former issue of the Magazine directed attention to the message sent to the Church in Ephesus. This Church was by no means inactive. It could not bear them who were evil. It had laboured and not fainted and bore its trials with patience but it had one serious defect; it had departed from its first love. It was because of this it was called upon to repent and threatened with the removal of its candlestick unless it did so. Love had died in the Church of Ephesus and though the Church might not have regarded this as a great calamity. He that held the seven stars in His right hand and walked in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks warned it with a solemn warning. We may be sure that the usual crop of pestilential troubles grew at first slowly and then luxuriantly in the ground once occupied by love so that the most obtuse and indifferent in the Church of Ephesus would not be left in doubt that something serious had happened.
The Church in Smyrna, as has been mentioned, and the Church in Philadelphia, are the only two that do not come in for condemnation. This Church was poor and greatly tried. But a message of comfort is sent to it from its Lord who pronounces it to be rich though poor in the estimation of men—”Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer.” Some of those belonging to this Church were to be cast into prison in order that they might be tried and they were to have tribulation but over against all this there was the gracious and comforting promise:—”Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life” (Rev. ii. 10).
The Church in Pergamos had its dwelling where Satan’s seat was—some stronghold of the devil that made the work of this Church peculiarly difficult. But in the face of the opposition it held fast Christ’s name and had not denied the faith. It had the special honour of having a martyr witnessing to the death for that faith. But the Church of Pergamos was slack in its discipline—there were in it those who held the doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitanes. For these shortcomings, so unimportant in the eyes of the world, the Church of Pergamos receives a very sharp warning—”Repent or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth” (Rev. ii. 16).
The Church in Thyatira is reminded that its Lord knows its work, its charity, and service, and faith, and its patience and its works and the last to be more than the first. This Church was making progress—its last works were more than the first, nevertheless, things were not altogether with it as they should be. It permitted “that woman Jezebel” to teach and to seduce the Lord’s servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols (Rev. ii. 20). There were some in the Church of Thyatira who were lured to spiritual fornication to practice things that were contrary to the will of Christ. But there were also those who did not know the depths of Satan. Judgment swift and terrible was to fall upon the former but the latter are exhorted to hold fast until the Master would come. To this is added the promise: “And he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father and I will give them the morning star” (Rev. ii. 26-28).
The Church in Sardis had a name that it was living but in the eyes of Him who had “the seven spirits of God and the seven stars” it was dead. The condition of this Church was serious in the extreme. It was not wanting in works and probably in the eyes of the world it was an ideal Church. No discipline would ever disturb its death-like calm and as for waging war against error that would in all likelihood be proscribed as inconsistent with the broadminded charity which characterised a Church which walked hand in hand with the World but was little in touch with the Master whom it professed to acknowledge. There is no call to this Church to embark on a great Forward Movement but there is a loud call to go back. The things that once gave strength to this Church are dying and it is called upon to be “watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die.” The Church in Sardis receives this solemn and imperative message: “Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard; and hold fast and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I come upon thee” (Rev. iii. 3). But far gone though the Church in Sardis was there was a few who had not defiled their garments and they were to walk with Christ in white for they were worthy (Rev. iii. 4).
The message to the Church in Philadelphia has no word of condemnation. The condition of this Church was not what would appeal to men as an active agency for Christ. Its works in connection with Christ’s cause would not be proclaimed by loud trumpet blasts which made plenty of noise though there might be very little effective work done. That the Church had determined and powerful enemies seems to be indicated in the remarkable promise given to it—”I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it.” It had shown in weakness, faithfulness in keeping Christ’s word and not denying His name. It was further promised to this Church that those who were making false claims would come and show respect to it (Rev. iii. 9) and they were to be made to know that Christ loved it. One promise is given after another to encourage the Church in Philadelphia to war the good warfare and to strengthen it in the hour of trial—”Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Rev. iii. 10). On the back of the exhortation—”Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” is the gracious promise—”Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name” (Rev. iii. 12).
The last message is to the Church in Laodicea. This Church is charged with being in a lukewarm state, neither cold nor hot. The precious truth of the gospel was nothing to the Church in Laodicea; it might be neglected and despised that was all one to the Church in Laodicea. This condition of things was brought about by a deep-rooted feeling of self-satisfaction—”I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.” But notwithstanding its self-satisfaction the Church in Laodicea was “wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” in the eyes of the Lord. Laodiceanism is usually proclaimed to be indifference, lukewarmness, to the claims of truth but there is more in it than this. It is a lukewarmness that is the fruit of self-satisfaction that produced the condition of things that was so hateful to the Lord Jesus. Hence He counsels this Church to buy of Him gold tried in the fire, that it might be rich; and white raiment, that it might be clothed, and that the shame of its nakedness might not appear and eyesalve that it might see. This message must have been staggering to the Church in Laodicea intoxicated as it was with the drugged wine of self-satisfaction. There may be Laodiceanism where a great din is made and where there is great activity—Laodiceanism it should be remembered, is not simply indifferentism to the provision of the gospel; it is something deeper still viz. the spirit of self-satisfaction that sees and feels no need of that provision. It is a subtle, dangerous state to which men who may think they are doing great work for Christ and His cause are liable to suffer from. The Lord calls upon the Church in Laodicea to repent. He is standing at the door knocking and if any man will hear His voice and open the door He promises that He will come in and sup with him. He also promises that he who overcomes will He grant the privilege of sitting with Him in His throne (Rev. iii. 21).