I thought more about the flashing red numbers on my clock this morning, which then brought to mind the meaning behind road signs or traffic signals with flashing words or colors, so I looked it up. FLASHING RED: “Means the same as a STOP sign: Stop, yield the right-of-way, and go when it is safe” (Ref: below). The numbers were flashing on the “alarm” clock. Alarm – a device for giving a warning of danger (Encarta). Clock – a measure of time (Encarta). When Jonah gave that message to Nineveh, he was giving both a warning of danger and a measure of time. Jonah was saying, in essence, “Stop what you are doing, and yield the right-of-way to Almighty God, then go in the safety of God’s righteousness.” The “measure of time” this morning on my clock was Matthew 6:33 about seeking first God’s kingdom and his righteousness. The warning was to stop worrying, seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness (yielding the right-of-way to Jesus Christ), and then to go in God’s grace and his provisions for our lives. I believe the Lord is saying “It is time to seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness first in your lives, so stop sinning against me, yield the right-of-way to me, and then go in my grace, love and forgiveness.”
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Revelation 2-4 (quoting 4:1 NIV 1984):
After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
My Understanding: Chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation contain the letters to the seven churches in Asia. There are many varied opinions on who those churches represent, and the time period for which each or all of them is to be applied. Yet, we also know that the Bible states that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17 NIV 1984). So, in principle, all scripture is timeless, and the Biblical truths contained therein are to be applied whenever or wherever applicable. Like the saying, “If the shoe fits, wear it,” so if something relates to you, then accept it and apply it.
The seven letters were written to seven congregations or seven localities where the church existed collectively. Four of the letters contained both positive words and negative words, i.e. affirmations of what they had done right (or were doing right) and admonishments against what they were doing wrong, and what needed to be corrected. Two of the letters contained positives only for the recipients, and one letter contained all negatives. That was the letter to Laodicea. Many people believe we are presently in the age of the Laodicean church, particularly here in the USA, and I happen to agree with that opinion, yet I also see that there are many characteristics contained in these other letters that apply here, as well.
Positives and Negatives
On the positive side, there were those individuals within these local congregations who had worked hard for the Lord, who had persevered and had endured hardships for the sake of Christ, and had not grown weary, who did not tolerate wicked men, who tested false apostles, who suffered afflictions and slanderous accusations from those who say they belong to God, but are of the synagogue of Satan, who were being persecuted for their faith, who remained true to the name of the Lord and did not renounce their faith in him, who did not soil their clothes by walking in sin after they received the knowledge of the truth, who had little physical or emotional strength, yet had kept the Lord’s word and had not denied his name, and who had kept the Lord’s command to endure patiently.
On the negative side, there were those in the church who had forsaken their first love, Jesus Christ. A first love is someone with whom we are head-over-heels in love with. We think about that person night and day. He (or she) is the first thought on our minds when we awake in the morning and usually the last before we go to bed at night. We want to talk with that person all the time and hear what he or she has to say. We want to do what pleases “our love.” Whenever anything is going on in our lives, he or she is the first person we want to tell. This is what our relationship with Jesus Christ should be like. So, to lose our first love means that Christ Jesus has been placed on a back burner in our hearts and that the things of this world have crowded him out and have taken first place instead.
As well, there were those who held to the teaching of Balaam. Balaam was willing to sell out the Israelites for a price. He was willing to curse them for profit. He taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin and to commit sexual immorality. There were those who tolerated false teachers who misled the Lord’s servants into sexual immorality. And, there were those who had a reputation for being alive, but they were dead spiritually. This is speaking of religious leaders, many of whom lead our churches, who are willing to sell out God’s people, the true saints of God, for profit – gain; reward. Many of them are also caught in and lead their congregants toward sexual immorality and sin. One of the biggest ways this is done by watering down the gospel message and by teaching that obedience to Christ and repentance are not necessary for salvation. If you read these seven letters, wherever there is a negative mentioned, you will notice the command to repent and to obey.
And, then we have a description of the Laodicean church of today. They are neither hot (on fire) for the Lord nor cold (those who make no claim to faith) against him, but they are lukewarm, i.e. they are apathetic – “not taking any interest in anything, or not bothering to do anything;” (Encarta) and/or indifferent and unconcerned about their own spiritual condition and/or the spiritual condition of the rest of the world, including among their fellow believers in Christ. They feel that they are pretty ok and that they have all they need, and they don’t see a need to make any changes in behavior or attitude, because they have bought into the lie that says they don’t have to repent and obey and they will still go to heaven.
Encouragements and Warnings
To those who are living in the positive realm, for the most part, the Lord is encouraging and offering words of comfort and of his continued presence with them. He is telling them to not be afraid of what they are about to suffer – persecution, imprisonment and even death for the sake of the name of Christ and of his gospel, and he will give them the crown of life. He is encouraging them to persevere and to hold on to what they have until Christ comes, so that no one can take their crown. As well, he promises them open doors that no man can shut and closed doors that no man can open. In other words, this is an encouragement to us that nothing in our lives escapes God’s notice, and no power or authority among men or among demons can do anything to us who are God’s servants unless God allows it and he allows it for his divine purposes in and through our lives. And, if he does allow it, he will see us through it. And, one day all will be exposed for what it truly is, the truth will be known, and the Lord will reveal those who are truly his, and those whom he has loved.
On the negative side, this serves as a warning of danger to those who continue in willful, continuous and unrepentant sin against God. Remember he is speaking to the church here, not to the world. He calls them to remember the height from which they have fallen, and he calls them to repent and do the things they did at first (when they were first in love with Christ). The word “Repent!” appears over and over again in these letters, as well as does the word “Obey!” For those who have a reputation of being alive spiritually but are really dead, he calls them to “Wake up!” and to strengthen what remains and is about to die, because Christ has not found their deeds to be complete in the sight of God. He says to them that they are to remember what they have received and heard: to obey it and repent. And, to the lukewarm (apathetic) church, he warns them that he is about to spit them out of his mouth (judgment). Instead of feeling as though they have everything they need for this life and the next, he warns them and counsels them that they need to evaluate their own hearts and lives and to realize that, although they think they are pretty ok, they are really wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
So, he is calling on them to accept the true gospel and the true riches of God’s grace into their lives through repentance and obedience. He warns them that those whom he loves (his church), he rebukes and disciplines, so they must be earnest (honest; forthright) and repent (turn from their sins). Jesus is standing at the door of the church and he is saying to the church, “Let me inside,” because much of the church today has shut Jesus and his Holy Spirit completely out, have stopped listening to his voice speaking, and have instead gone after the ways and teachings of men. Our Lord wants to have renewed fellowship with his church once more, and he will use judgment against his church, if necessary, to get her on her knees in repentance and obedience.
Judgment and Hope
If they do not repent and they choose to continue in their own way, this serves as a warning of impending judgment. He will come and will remove their lampstand from its place. The lampstands were the churches, so this is indeed a strong judgment against the church. If they do not repent, he will come to them soon and will fight against his own church with the sword of his mouth. If they are unwilling to repent, he will cast them on a bed of suffering and will kill their offspring. If they do not wake up, he will come like a thief, and they will not know at what time he will come in judgment against them, because they are not watching and waiting for his return. To those who are of the synagogue of Satan, the Lord will make them come and fall at the feet of his faithful servants (saints of God) and acknowledge that God has loved them. And, to the apathetic (lukewarm) confessor of Christ as Savior, he warns that he is about to spit them out of his mouth and that he intends to rebuke and discipline them for their apathy. God will judge his church!
The encouragement to all of us is to first of all hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches today, because these words are timeless. To those who overcome the evil one and who remain faithful to Christ, who persevere, and who do the will of God to the end, he will give the right to eat from the tree of life in paradise; he will give the crown of life; they will not be hurt at all by the second death; he will give them hidden manna; he will give them a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it; he will give authority over the nations when he returns to set up his earthly kingdom reign; he will dress them in white (his purity and righteousness); their names will never be blotted out of the book of life; Jesus will acknowledge them before his Father and before his angels; he will keep them from (or through) the hour of trial that is to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth; he will make them a pillar in the temple of his God and Jesus will write on him the name of his God and the name of the city of his God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from God; and he will also write on them his new name. And, he will give them the right to sit with him on his throne.
Revelation 4 begins by Jesus saying to John, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” Jesus had just finished giving John the letters to the seven churches, so first God sends out his warnings to the church to repent of their sins, and then comes the judgments of God, which are what must take place following the warnings. Time is running out. The fourth beast is soon to reign on the whole earth, and a great time of persecution for the saints of God and a great time of tribulation and suffering will come upon the earth. So, if the shoe fits in any of these negatives (against), then be earnest, repent and obey.
Muted Trumpet / An Original Work / October 14, 2011
Softly He speaks gently to us,
Giving us His messages, and
He waits patiently for us to
Respond to His words.
Will you listen to Him speaking?
Will you waken from your sleeping?
He is calling; hear Him whisper
His truth unto you.
Jesus speaks His words unto us,
So that He might live out through us,
Giving light to all who need Him,
So they can obey.
He gave His life to die for us,
So that from sin He would free us
To walk humbly in obedience
Unto Him each day.
Hear the trumpet clearly calling.
He died to keep us from falling.
Won’t you listen; heed His call to
Turn to Him today?
Hasten to Him calling to you.
Turn from sin and follow Jesus.
He loves you so much He gave you
Life eternally.
Song Lyrics @ Public Domain
Audio, song lyrics and sheet music at:
https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs2/home/songs/muted-trumpet
Song on video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0iizyIw0KM
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