The Good, the Bad, and the Lukewarm: Revelation 2-3

After the author introduces Jesus Christ in obvious divine terms, the scene shifts to seven letters written to seven churches in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey).  There is little significant about these seven particular churches so that only these seven warrant a letter.  There could have been eight churches receiving letters, or only six.  But there is something significant about choosing “Seven” churches total.  “Seven” throughout the Bible (and especially in Revelation) is a figurative number, a symbol meaning “complete, full, perfect.”  That is to say, these seven particular churches are a symbolic representative of All churches Everywhere throughout All Time.  What Jesus has to say to these seven particular churches is relevant to all Christians both past, present, and future.  

The actual seven letters follow the same basic structure

1. An order is given to write to the “angel” of the church of X
2. Christ is described in terms coming from chapter 1
3. The church’s good works are commended
4. The church is accused of sin
5. The church is encouraged to repent with a warning of judgment, or an encouragement
6. The formula “He who has an ear...” appears, bidding the believer to act
7. Promises are given to the “Overcomers”

When you compare the churches, all of them (except Laodicea) have something good to say about them.  For many, their “good works” can be summed up in their refusal to deny Christ as Lord, in spite of cultural pressure to do exactly that.  

Also, there are only two churches (Smyrna and Philadelphia) which have nothing bad said about them.  These two are commended for their faith and encouraged to remain faithful as they have been.  All the others have some sin they are dealing with and are encouraged to repent.  What is ironic is that in spite of some of the churches’ refusal to deny the Lordship and Deity of Jesus Christ they have, in some ways, compromised their beliefs in terms of their behaviors.  Pergamum and Thyatira, for instance, follow “Balaam” and “Jezebel”.  

You have to know your Old Testament to get these references.  Balaam appears in Numbers 22-24 and was called upon to curse the Israelites.  He found that the words of cursing could not come out of his mouth, yet what he could do was tempt the Israelites to sin by compromising some of their behaviors and begin participating in immoral practices.  Jezebel, who appears in 1 Kings 21, did pretty much the same thing.  Though Pergamum and Thyatira have not flatly denied Jesus Christ, they are participating in compromising behaviors.  

The most striking indictment comes to the believers in Sardis who, spiritually speaking, are dead.  It seems while they do still fall under the authority of Christ, their crime is their “incomplete deeds”, perhaps meaning they no longer witness for Christ to the outside world (evidence of the problem in Ephesus as well).  They believe all the right things, and perhaps even behave rightly, but have stopped doing the work of evangelism.  Apparently, when a church no longer does that, one may call into question whether or not the church is even alive!  

Laodicea is in the worst possible position, having nothing good said about it.  They are, in Jesus’ words, “lukewarm”, and in effect, nauseating.  “I am about to spit you out of my mouth” is a soft translation.  The Greek is closer to “Projectile Vomit.”  The reason for this is that they are generally ineffective in their faith in every conceivable way.  

(Parenthetical Note: The “hot / lukewarm / cold” metaphor is NOT a gauge of spiritual temperature, as if “hot” means “great spiritual fervor”, “cold” means “completely non-Christian”, and “lukewarm” means “somewhere between the other two.”  It is hard to fathom why Jesus would recommend they be completely unspiritual, as if that were a better option than lukewarmness.  Instead, both “hot” and “cold” are positive.  It is a geographical illustration.  On one side of Laodicea was the town Hierapolis, which was notorious for it’s hot springs which had medicinal effects.  It was the place to go if you wanted a hot-tub.  On the other side of Laodicea was Colossae, known for its cold, refreshing, pure drinking water.  While Laodicea was at an advantageous geographical location economically, it had no natural water source of its own.  Water had to be pumped into the city and by the time it got there, it was not hot nor cold, but lukewarm, bitter, and disgusting.  The believers in Laodicea are no better than their water: lukewarm, bitter, and disgusting.  Jesus wants them to be either “hot” or “cold”, healing, nourishing, refreshing; not vomit-inducing).  

When you take a step back and consider the whole church together (remember, the 7 symbolically represent all believers everywhere), you see that the body of believers are living in a less-than-ideal situation.  Most of the churches have something wrong with them.  The first and last churches are even in danger of losing their very identity as “Christian.”  The churches with nothing wrong with them are in the minority yet even they still face persecution.  This is why the end of each letter makes a promise to the “him who overcomes.”  The promises all have something to do with eternal life, that the first death will not be the last answer for them.

Yet what is ironic is the notion of victory in defeat.  The very idea of “overcoming” implies some kind of hardship.  Jesus is not naive about what the believers will have to face in their pagan culture.  Society is pressuring them to compromise their behaviors, encouraging them to cross lines they should not cross.  In order to maintain their status before Christ, they will have to overcome those temptations, refuse to cross those lines and be willing to pay whatever price comes their way for maintaining their faith.  For others, society is threatening them with death itself.  In order to maintain their status before Christ, they will have to overcome even that.  If they take your house, your home, your property, your livelihood, even your life, so be it!  Again, there are worse things than death.  It may be helpful to know that the believers do not overcome alone.  The image of the Divine figure “among the lampstands” in Rev. 1:13 symbolizes that the churches have access to Divine help in overcoming.  

There is an ironic victory that comes in their physical defeat.  Should they be killed for refusing to compromise, though they are defeated in this life, God grants them victory in the next life.  After all, the one making the promise identifies himself to Smyrna as the one Who died and came to life again.  He can tell believers Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer... be faithful even to the point of death, because though they may die, he who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.  

(Theological note: The notion of “overcoming” is not compatible with a pre-Tribulation rapture of the Church.  To read it this way is a mistake.  Why should Jesus encourage them to “overcome” if he is going to shortly remove them anyway?  A pre-Tribulation rapture just doesn’t make sense!).

Whether we like to acknowledge it or not, those of us living in the United States find ourselves among a society that is increasingly hostile toward Christianity (in spite of all the “tolerance” going around: Christianity is apparently the one faith it is okay not to tolerate!).  It may be in just a generation or two that our government forces us to make a choice of denying our faith or dying for it.  In addition to that, there are Christian communities around the world who already live in that kind of a society.  The message of Revelation is for those believers living in those societies.  For those believers who have compromised, Revelation is a warning to repent and to act in a way honoring to God.  For those believers who haven’t compromised, Revelation is an encouragement to continue to do just that, even if life gets worse.  For those who Overcome, death is not the final answer.