To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:The term "angel" here is often interpreted as the messenger or leader of the church, possibly the pastor or bishop. Laodicea was a wealthy city in the Roman province of Asia, known for its banking, textile industry, and a famous medical school. The church in Laodicea is one of the seven churches addressed in Revelation, each representing different spiritual conditions and challenges faced by early Christian communities.
These are the words of the Amen:
"Amen" is a Hebrew word meaning "truly" or "so be it," signifying certainty and truth. In this context, it emphasizes the reliability and authority of Christ's message. Jesus is portrayed as the ultimate affirmation of God's promises, echoing2 Corinthians 1:20, where all God's promises are affirmed in Him.
the faithful and true Witness:
This phrase underscores Jesus' role as the perfect and reliable witness to God's truth. Unlike human witnesses who may falter, Jesus embodies complete faithfulness and truth. This is consistent with His self-description inJohn 14:6 as "the way, the truth, and the life," and highlights His divine authority and integrity.
the Originator of God’s creation:
This phrase identifies Jesus as the source or beginning of creation, aligning withColossians 1:16-17, which states that all things were created through Him and for Him. It affirms His preeminence and active role in creation, countering any notion that He is a created being. This also connects to the prologue of John's Gospel, where Jesus is described as the Word through whom all things were made.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
The Angel of the Church in LaodiceaThis refers to the spiritual leader or messenger of the church in Laodicea, a city known for its wealth and self-sufficiency but criticized for its spiritual lukewarmness.
2.
LaodiceaAn ancient city located in present-day Turkey, known for its prosperous banking industry, textile production, and medical school. The church in Laodicea is one of the seven churches addressed in the Book of Revelation.
3.
The AmenA title for Jesus Christ, emphasizing His role as the ultimate affirmation of God's promises. The term "Amen" is derived from the Hebrew word (amen), meaning "truth" or "certainty."
4.
The Faithful and True WitnessAnother title for Jesus, highlighting His reliability and truthfulness in bearing witness to God's nature and purposes.
5.
The Originator of God’s CreationThis title underscores Jesus' role in creation, affirming His divine authority and preeminence. The Greek word used here is (arch?), meaning "beginning" or "source."
Teaching Points
Understanding Christ's AuthorityRecognize Jesus as the ultimate authority in creation and in our lives. His titles in this verse affirm His divine nature and His role in God's redemptive plan.
The Importance of Spiritual VigilanceThe church in Laodicea serves as a warning against spiritual complacency. Evaluate your spiritual fervor and seek to be zealous and committed in your faith.
Reliability of Christ's TestimonyTrust in the truthfulness of Jesus' words and His witness. His faithfulness assures us of the reliability of His promises and teachings.
Reflecting Christ's CharacterAs followers of Christ, we are called to emulate His faithfulness and truthfulness in our own lives, being reliable witnesses to His grace and truth.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Revelation 3:14?
2.What does "the Amen, the faithful and true Witness" reveal about Jesus' character?
3.How can we ensure our faithfulness aligns with Jesus' example in Revelation 3:14?
4.Why is Jesus called "the Beginning of God's creation" in Revelation 3:14?
5.How does Revelation 3:14 connect with Colossians 1:15-18 about Jesus' supremacy?
6.In what ways can we apply Jesus' truthfulness from Revelation 3:14 in daily life?
7.What does "the Amen, the faithful and true Witness" signify in Revelation 3:14?
8.How does Revelation 3:14 challenge the concept of Jesus' divinity?
9.Why is Laodicea specifically addressed in Revelation 3:14?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Revelation 3?
11.What was the purpose of the Council of Laodicea?
12.What did Jesus mean by condemning lukewarm faith?
13.What is known about Laodicea in the Bible?
14.What is the meaning of Revelation 3:20?What Does Revelation 3:14 Mean
To the angel of the church in Laodicea writeJesus addresses the “angel,” most likely the human messenger or pastor responsible for shepherding the believers in Laodicea (Revelation 1:20).
• The Lord singles out each local church, proving He knows their exact spiritual condition (Revelation 2–3).
• Laodicea, prosperous yet spiritually lukewarm, stood near Hierapolis and Colossae—places Paul mentioned when urging believers to share letters (Colossians 4:16).
• By calling for a written message, Christ underlines that His Word is unchanging, reliable, and to be read aloud and obeyed (1 Thessalonians 5:27).
These are the words of the AmenIn Scripture, “Amen” seals what is certain and trustworthy. Here it is a title for Jesus Himself.
•Isaiah 65:16 speaks of “the God of Amen” (BSB: “the God of Truth”), revealing the same absolute dependability Jesus now claims.
•2 Corinthians 1:20 declares, “For all the promises of God are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through Him the ‘Amen’ is spoken…,” spotlighting Jesus as the divine guarantee that every promise stands.
• By introducing Himself this way, the Lord reminds Laodicea—and us—that His verdicts cannot be negotiated or ignored.
the faithful and true WitnessJesus testifies perfectly to the Father’s will and to human hearts.
•Revelation 1:5 calls Him “the faithful witness,” assuring persecuted saints that He never distorts reality.
•John 18:37 records His words to Pilate: “For this reason I was born and have come into the world: to testify to the truth.”
• When He assesses Laodicea’s lukewarmness (Revelation 3:15-17), His diagnosis is exact; no self-deception escapes His gaze (Hebrews 4:13).
• For believers, this title comforts and warns: the Lord’s commendations are genuine, and His corrections are equally reliable.
the Originator of God’s creationChrist is not a created being; He is the divine source, the One through whom everything came into existence.
•John 1:3 affirms, “Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.”
•Colossians 1:15-17 praises Him as the One “by whom and for whom all things were created.”
•Hebrews 1:2 adds that God “made the universe” through the Son, underscoring His pre-eminence and authority to judge His churches.
• For Laodicea, proud of its wealth and industry, this reminder places every earthly achievement under Christ’s creative sovereignty (Genesis 1:1).
summaryRevelation 3:14 presents Jesus as the unchanging “Amen,” the perfectly reliable “faithful and true Witness,” and the sovereign “Originator of God’s creation.” These titles ground the stern words that follow: the Lord who formed all things and guarantees every promise now speaks with absolute integrity to a complacent church. His authority leaves no room for indifference; His faithfulness offers certain hope to any believer who listens and responds.
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Laodicea.--Situated half way between Philadelphia and Colossae, and not far from Hierapolis. It received its name from Laodice, wife of Antiochus the second king of Syria, by whom it was rebuilt and beautified. It had borne in earlier times the names of Diospolis and afterwards Rhoas. It shared with Thyatira and Sardis in the dye trade; the woods grown in the neighbourhood were famous for their quality and the rich blackness of their colour. Prosperity in trade had so enriched the population that when their city suffered in the great earthquake (A.D. 60) they were able to carry on the work of rebuilding without applying, as many of the neighbouring towns were compelled to do, to the Imperial Treasury for aid. The language of St. Paul (
Colossians 1:5-8) suggests that the churches of Colossae and the neighbourhood first received Christianity from the preaching of Epaphras, though it seems strange that so important a city, lying hard upon the great Roman road from Ephesus to the east, should have been passed over by St. Paul in his journeyings throughout Phrygia (see
Acts 16:6;
Acts 18:23); yet, on the other hand, Phrygia was a vague term, and the language of
Colossians 2:1 is most generally understood to imply that the Apostle had never personally visited either Colossae or Laodicea. (See Note on
Colossians 2:1.) But it was a Church in which St. Paul took the deepest possible interest; the believers there were constantly in his mind. He knew their special temptations to the worship of inferior mediators, and to spiritual paralysis springing from wordly prosperity and intellectual pride. He had great heart-conflict for those of Laodicea (
Colossians 3:1), and in proof of his earnest solicitude he addressed a letter to them (
Colossians 4:16), in all probability the epistle we call the Epistle to the Ephesians. Prom the Epistle to the Colossians we may gather that when St. Paul wrote the Christians at Laodicea assembled for worship in the house of Nymphas (
Colossians 4:15) probably under the presidency of Archippus (
Revelation 3:17). . . .
Verses 14-22. - The
epistle to the Church in Laodicea. Laodicea, on the Lycus, a tributary of the Maeander, lay some fifty miles to the south-east of Philadelphia. The modern Turkish name,
Eskihissar, signifies "the old castle." It is situated on the western side of the valley of the Lycus, on the opposite slopes of which, some six or eight miles distant, were Hierapolis and Colossae, with which it is associated by St. Paul (
Colossians 4:13, 16). Named at first Diosopolis, after its tutelary deity, Zeus, it subsequently became Rheas, and finally received its name from Antiochus II., in honour of his wife, Laodice. There were several other cities of the same name, from which it was distinguished by the addition of the words, "on the Lycus." It was a wealthy city, its trade consisting chiefly in the preparation of woollen materials. It was advantageously situated, too, on the high road leading from Ephesus into the interior. Though, in common with the other cities of Asia Minor, visited by earthquakes, it quickly recovered; and it was the proud boast of the Laodiceans that, unlike Ephesus and Sardis, they required no extraneous assistance to enable them to regain their former prosperity. This fact undoubtedly explains the temptations to which the Laodiceans were liable, and the reference in ver. 16 to those who were neither cold nor hot, and that in ver. 17 to those who said they were rich and had need of nothing (see on vers. 16, 17). The Christian Church there may have been founded by Epaphras, through whom St. Paul probably learned of the existence of false doctrine there (
Colossians 2:4, 8 and Colossians 1:8), for the Epistle to the Colossians seems to be equally addressed to the Laodiceans (
Colossians 4:16). The importance of this Church continued for some time, the celebrated Council of Laodicea being held there in A.D. , and a century later its bishop held a prominent position (Labbe, 4. p. 82, etc.). But its influence gradually waned, and the Turks pressed hardly upon it; so that at the present time it is little more than a heap of ruins. The warnings of the Apostles SS. Paul and John, if heeded at all for a time, were forgotten, and her candlestick was removed.
Verse 14. -
And unto the angel. Those expositors who understand "the angel" of a Church to signify its chief officer, may with some plausibility argue that at Laodicea it seems almost certain that this was Archippus. In his Epistle to Philemon, a wealthy convert of Colossae, St. Paul sends greeting to Archippus (
Philemon 1:2). If Archippus were the son of philemon, he might very well have been Bishop of Laodicea at the time of St. John's message. Moreover, the son of a wealthy and influential Christian, though likely to have been selected as bishop in the neighbouring Church, may have lacked the zeal necessary for the thorough performance of his work; and would thus incur the marked rebuke of St. Paul, "Say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it" (
Colossians 4:17), which appears immediately after the mention of the Laodicean Church. The Apostolical Constitutions also assert that Archippus was first Bishop of Laodicea. Of the Church of the Laodiceans write; or,
of the Church in Laodicea (
τῆς ἐν Λαοδικαίᾳ ἐκκλησίας). These things saith the Amen. The word "Amen" is here used as a proper name of our Lord; and this is the only instance of such an application. It signifies the "True One." It is a word much used in St. John's Gospel, where it appears repeated at the commencement of many discourses, "Verily, verily." In
Isaiah 65:16 "the God of Amen" (
אמן) is rendered in the LXX. by
ἀληθινός; in the Authorized Version by "truth" (cf. the use of the English "very" as an adjective - "the
very one,"
i.e. the
real or
true one). The term is peculiarly well adapted to our Lord (who is the
Truth,
John 14:6), not only as a general name or title, but especially in connexion with this solemn announcement to the Laodiceans. There was great need of the truth being openly proclaimed by him who is the Truth to those who, though nominally Christians, were ensnared by the
deceitfulness of riches (
Matthew 13:22), and were deceiving themselves in the attempt to make the best of both worlds by their lukewarm Christianity. It was the purpose of this epistle to draw aside the veil which was hiding the truth from their eyes, and to bring them to a realization of that most difficult of all knowledge - a knowledge of self. The faithful and true Witness - an amplification of "the Amen." The epithet "faithful" asserts the truthfulness of Christ's work as a Witness; "true" (
ἀληθινός) signifies "real and complete." He is
a faithful Witness because his witness is true; and he is a true Witness because in him is the complete realization of all the qualifications which constitute any one really and truly a witness. "Faithful" (
πιστός) has the passive meaning of "that which is worthy of faith," not the active meaning of "he who believes something." Trench well points out that God can only be
faithful in the former sense; man may
be faithful in beth senses. Christ was a Witness worthy of faith, since he possessed all the attributes of such a witness. He
(1) had seen what he attested;
(2) was competent to relate and reproduce this information;
(3) was willing to do this faithfully and truly. . . .
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
To theτῷ(tō)Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.angelἀγγέλῳ(angelō)Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 32:From aggello; a messenger; especially an 'angel'; by implication, a pastor.of theτῆς(tēs)Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.churchἐκκλησίας(ekklēsias)Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 1577:From a compound of ek and a derivative of kaleo; a calling out, i.e. a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation.inἐν(en)Preposition
Strong's 1722:In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.LaodiceaΛαοδικείᾳ(Laodikeia)Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2993:From a compound of laos and dike; Laodicia, a place in Asia Minor.write:γράψον(grapson)Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 1125:A primary verb; to 'grave', especially to write; figuratively, to describe.These [are]Τάδε(Tade)Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3592:This here, this, that, he, she, it.the wordsλέγει(legei)Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3004:(a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.of theὁ(ho)Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.Amen,Ἀμήν(Amēn)Hebrew Word
Strong's 281:Of Hebrew origin; properly, firm, i.e. trustworthy; adverbially, surely.theὁ(ho)Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.faithfulπιστὸς(pistos)Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4103:Trustworthy, faithful, believing. From peitho; objectively, trustworthy; subjectively, trustful.andκαὶ(kai)Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.TRUEἀληθινός(alēthinos)Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 228:True (lit: made of truth), real, genuine. From alethes; truthful.Witness,μάρτυς(martys)Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3144:A witness (judicially) or figuratively (genitive case); by analogy, a 'martyr'.theἡ(hē)Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.Originatorἀρχὴ(archē)Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 746:From archomai; a commencement, or chief.of God’sΘεοῦ(Theou)Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316:A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.creation.κτίσεως(ktiseōs)Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 2937:From ktizo; original formation.
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NT Prophecy: Revelation 3:14 To the angel of the assembly (Rev. Re Apocalypse)