We’re going to go through the letter to Laodicea this week, but first it seems there’s a need to address what can be a hard topic to cover. There has been multiple people over the past week alone who have died that either I knew personally or I am once removed from (meaning I know their relative or someone close to them). YHWH designed man to be really good at identifying patterns, and a pattern I’ve come to identify is that it’s almost as if there are rashes of numerous deaths in a concentrated amount of time and then in between there’s periods where, as morbid as it is, there's just the "standard" amount. I don't know if you've seen the same thing, but that's at least what I've noticed.
I’m not going to hazard a guess on why that is, but it’s times like now when you start to wonder either how you can receive comfort or how you can comfort others after these events. It seems lacking to tell someone they’re in your thoughts and that you’re praying for them, even if you genuinely mean it and even get emotional about what they’re going through. You also don’t want to force feed them scripture about comfort or strength because you don’t know where they’re at emotionally and if they will receive that the way you intended or not. Maybe you knew or were close with the deceased. So, how do you gain comfort from scripture when you have questions on why it happened or resentment against YHWH for taking that person away?
If it’s you going through the loss, just know that it’s ok to have those emotions and it’s ok to have those questions. Until we come face to face and ask YHWH about it, we can only speculate about why. We know that His ways and thoughts are beyond our reach currently, but we also know that He has a purpose for everything (Isaiah 55:8-10). For example, whenever I hear about multiple deaths like this, I’m reminded of the fact that YHWH allowed all the righteous to die (with the exception of Noah and his family, of course) before sending the flood (Genesis 6:5-12, Jasher 4:20-21). That way they didn't have to experience that horrible death.
There are many websites and counselors that are focused on helping people through grief, and the different emotions people go through in the grieving process are widely known. Even with the knowledge we believers have about the promises YHWH and Yeshua give us, it’s ok and normal to go through these emotions. That doesn’t make you a “bad” or faithless believer.
If it’s someone you know going through the loss, the best thing to do is to be there for that person as much as they want/need you to be. People go through these events in different ways, some needing more connections to others during it and some just wanting to be alone. Tell them how genuinely sorry you are and let them know they can reach out to you for whatever they need. When the time feels right, reach out again to make sure they’re doing ok.
There’s no easy way to go through a loss of a loved one or to help someone through that loss. Ultimately though, it’s our genuine connection and love for others that is the best way to gain comfort and to comfort others. You don’t have to be alone in your grief, and certainly don’t let those you know feel alone in theirs. The Holy Spirit is called our Comforter in some translations (John 14:16), but sometimes that means He sends you to others or others get sent to you for the comfort that they or you need.
The main topic this week is the letter to the believers in Laodicea because there was something interesting I found in a round about way. I was looking into Paul’s use of the word “reprobate/depraved” (adokimos) in Romans (Romans 1:28) when I was led to the message to Laodicea. Specifically, adokimos is the Greek word used to refer to things like coinage and metal being rejected as counterfeit, unapproved, and just generally not withstanding the test of validity or worth. This, of course, made me think of Yeshua saying He wanted the believers of Laodicea to buy gold from Him that was refined by the fire, since the term refining is often used to speak metaphorically of someone being tried or tested through hardships or challenges in their life.
We’ll look at that verse in a moment, but first, let’s start at the beginning of the message to the believers in Laodicea (Revelation 3:15-21). Yeshua starts with a rebuke to these people, talking about how their deeds are not hot or cold, but they are lukewarm. He told them very graphically that He intended to vomit them out of His mouth because of this (yes, the Greek word He used is not intended to just mean spit!). We have looked at this aspect previously when we have touched on this letter (Banner)(Churches).
Yeshua also talked about how they were very inwardly focused and prideful about their status in the world. The Laodiceans said they grew rich, meaning it was all a result of their own efforts, without any help from anyone else, including YHWH. And this next part is where things get interesting.
When you look at the words Yeshua used when talking about the Laodicean’s true status, the English version doesn’t quite pack the punch that the Greek words do. First, He states that they do not know or realize (depending on translation) their true condition, but the Greek word here (eido) is referencing a physical seeing that then becomes a spiritual knowing: a perceiving. The same word is used when describing how Yeshua knew the thoughts of Pharisees (Matthew 12:25) and scribes (Luke 6:8).
Yeshua then goes on to tell them they are wretched, miserable, poor, etc., and when you look at these descriptors you find something even more interesting. The Greek word used for wretched (talaiporos) is actually derived from two words that mean “to undergo/bear” “a callous.” HELPS Word-Studies tells us that this word is used to describe a person that undergoes such significant strain and hardship that they have severe side effects. In other words, figurative callouses. The only other use of this word in the New Testament is by Paul when he talks about the struggles he went through with sin (Romans 7:24). In no way did the Laodiceans consider themselves that bad off.
Clearly, Yeshua is not holding back any punches, and He’s obviously referring to the Laodiceans spiritually rather than physically. But He doesn’t stop there. The next word He uses is miserable, and this Greek word (eleeinos) is better defined as pitiable, meaning they are in desperate need of mercy. Again, this word is used only one other time in the New Testament, and again it's by Paul. He said that even in the whole world including non-believers that think there’s nothing more to us than our current lives and these bodies, if Yeshua did not rise from the dead, then we believers should be the most pitied above everyone for placing our hope in Him (1 Corinthians 15:19).
The next word Yeshua uses for the Laodiceans is the word poor, but as you might be able to guess by now, what we think of when we think poor isn’t even the half of what He’s talking about. The Greek word here (ptochos) actually comes from another word (ptosso) that means to crouch or cower like a beggar. Yeshua is not talking about the people that come up to you as you’re walking through an inner city, looking you in the eye and asking for a dollar so they can feed their kids (when it's clear they don't even have any). He’s talking about the people that are so poor, so beggarly, that their shame keeps them from coming up to you. They are the ones that don’t look you in the eye, and maybe even move away or try not to be seen by you as you walk by. These are the people that have become secluded from the world in their destitution, and rarely, if ever, hear their name spoken out loud because the world has decided that they have no worth.
This word is the same one used by Yeshua when talking about the poor in spirit being given the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3). It’s also who Yeshua told the rich young ruler to give his money to before coming to follow Him (Matthew 19:16-21, Mark 10:17-21, Luke 18:18-22). Yeshua also used this word to describe Lazarus in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). The Laodiceans would never have considered themselves to be this poor!
Yeshua also describes the Laodiceans as blind and naked, clearly indicating a mental blindness like He referred to the Pharisees having (Matthew 15:14) and a figurative nakedness such as when the same word is used in Hebrews (Hebrews 4:13). In the next verse though, He makes the statement about buying His gold, and the Greek words really give the true meaning behind what He was actually saying.
Most translations use the word “counsel,” and some used the word “advise,” but when you look at the other uses of the Greek word in scripture, Yeshua does not mean He is giving the Laodiceans some words of wisdom. The Greek word is sumbouleuo, and its meaning is much more collaborative than that. Yeshua was saying He was trying to work together with the Laodiceans so they can receive that gold refined in the fire, He wasn’t just giving a, “here’s my advice, take it or leave it,” sort of thing. It’s the same Greek word used to describe how the chief priests and elders collaborated/conspired/counselled together to kill Yeshua and later Paul, and in fact, those are the only other verses in which this word is used (Matthew 26:3, John 18:14, Acts 9:23).
So, Yeshua wants to work together with us to help us "buy" His gold, the treasures stored up in heaven (Matthew 6:20). He’s not trying to get anything out of helping us though, because He says, “so that you may be rich” (Revelation 3:18). He just wants us to reach our full potential, and be able to join Him in eternal life. He also wants us to be able to get white garments from Him, and the word for garments here (himation) means the outer cloak, so He is referring to a clean, pure spiritual covering from Him that covers our sinful selves.
The last thing to point out here is Yeshua desired that the Laodicean’s shame of nakedness was not revealed, and the Greek word for shame used here is aischune. This is the same word used when Yeshua talked about the shame/humiliation felt by someone when they’re asked to move from a place of prominence that they placed themselves in (Luke 14:9). In other words, He’s telling us that if we walk around like the Laodiceans, thinking we’ve got it all and deserve the best and the truth about us spiritually is quite the opposite, it will be very humiliating when we come to the end and He tells us the reality of our position, whether in heaven or otherwise.
This was certainly a harsh message for the Laodiceans, but we most definitely can learn something from it. There are times when we act just like them, and we need to remember this message so that we might come in humbleness to Yeshua to collaborate with Him in getting His gold and garments. He wants to help us and work with us, but He also rebukes and corrects those He loves (Revelation 3:19). So, while that’s a hard thing to go through, we at least know He loves us and is trying to help us be better!
Shabbat shalom and YHWH bless you!
-Rob and Sara Gene
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