The main message to Laodicea is in Revelation Chapter 3. You may already be familiar with it.
In the King James version it reads as follows, and in a Red Letter Bible it’s written in red, as are all the words of Jesus.
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
The Bible is a message from God in BOOK form, but it also contains short messages that include specific messages sent to you!
If you are part of Jesus spiritual body, then you are part of Jesus church in this end time, so this is also a message given from Jesus, and sent to you.
Let’s take a closer look at this message.
The rest of this post is pure speculation on my part, and may not be 100% correct.
The Laodicean message includes a call to repentance (verse 19). More than mere confession (like Catholicism teaches) is needed.
In my opinion, when they repent, Laodiceans become Philadelphians to whom Jesus comes quickly Rev 3:11 (It says ‘Behold, I come quickly‘ in the KJV, and Strong’s says it means shortly, without delay) even though verse 10 is addressed to those who have now passed away.
The brief message to Philadelphia is written in verses 7 to 12, as follows:
7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
10 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.
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
12 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.
Now please follow my train of thought.
The following verses all indicate that Philadelphia and Laodicea may do the work of the two witnesses in Revelation chapter 11.
The Philadelphians are given an open door… Rev 3:8 Jesus is the door. John 10:9. The two witnesses are also given an open door, in that no-one can stop their message. Rev 11:5
Christs followers are sent out to the world with power… Luke 10:19 The witnesses also have power. Rev 11:3 and Rev 11:6. In Rev 3:8 you can read the Philadelphians have “a little strength” but the word ‘little’ can alternatively be translated as a “brief, or short time” of strength (‘little’ is used this way in John 7:33).
They are sent as witnesses… Acts 1:8 Jesus is the true witnesses. Rev 3:14. Jesus’ truth can be in the mouth of two or more witnesses. Matt 18:16 or 2 Cor 13:1 and read Isaiah 43. Look at verses 7, 8 and 10 as follows.
7 Even every one that is called by my name (prophetically referring to churches of God?): for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes (this is a match with Rev 3:17), and the deaf that have ears (this is a match with Rev 3:22). (Could this refer to repentant Laodiceans?)
9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
For those who belong to Jesus, Jesus now lives inside them. John 14:18, John 14:20, Romans 8:9,10,11
Jesus is the Comforter and he comes into us through his Spirit. I have a more complete teaching on that subject here.
Witnesses for Jesus carry Jesus’ authority, not their own.
Time may prove me wrong, but I’m speculating that in Revelation 11 the ‘two’ witnesses that are given power (e.g. Rev 11:6) could be you and me, and all those who witness for the truth at the very end! Read About & Why for nicetiming here.
The number two may be symbolic. I realise many people will tell me the two witnesses are Enoch and Elijah and so forth, with other candidates, but I don’t buy that.
People say the church is not mentioned after Revelation chapter 3, but perhaps it is. Could Revelation chapter 11 refer to the last two church groups – Philadelphians and repentant Laodiceans?
Scriptures that Definitely Seem to Connect
Let me show you more matching verses about lampstands, about sleeping, and about anointing that seem to all correlate with each other:
Rev 1:20 says the 7 churches are 7 lampstands.
Matt 25:7 talks about ten virgin’s, who are church members that have been invited to Jesus wedding supper, waking out of sleep and trimming lamps just before Jesus returns.
Zech 4:1 mentions waking from sleep, and Zech 4:2 talks about 7 lamps. ***
Then Zech 4:14 says two of them are two anointed ones.
Laodiceans are told to anoint their eyes in Rev 3:18.
Rev 11:4 says two of the lampstands are two witnesses (see below regarding the two olive trees).
Putting these together, you have churches waking from sleep, trimming their lamps, anointing their eyes, and as anointed ones, witnessing for God.
*** The next verse, Zechariah 4:3, then goes on to talk about olive trees and olive oil. Some think olive trees represent Jews, and from that they deduce that the two witnesses are Jews and Gentiles, but that idea is very problematic. Are the two olive trees two churches, with the oil representing Jesus’ Spirit flowing through them? Did you know that Gethsemane, where Jesus was arrested, means Olive Press! It seems that Christ is the olive tree vine, and we are the branches – John 15:5. (Romans 11:18 etc is often misapplied to say Jews are the root, but it is referring to Christ. Romans 15:12.) Perhaps Christ is also the tree of life (Rev 22:2) from whose side the river flows, which is why the two witnesses can also be two olive trees (Rev 11:4) , and represent God to the world as God’s Spirit flows through them, symbolised by two branches and two trees. John 15:5.
(People can look like trees walking – Mark 8:24.)
Isaiah 61, the last half of verse 3, “that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”
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