The Church At The End Times
In the days of the Apostles not many churches were wealthy, powerful, or well educated (1 Corinthians 1:26). This development did not occur until centuries later with the formation of the large Christian denominations: Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and other eastern churches. But the Laodicean church in Revelation 3:14-22 is different even from these because Revelation is the book about the end times.
And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: "The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.1
Και τω αγγελω της εν Λαοδικεια εκκλησιας γραψον Ταδε λεγει ο Αμην ο μαρτυς ο πιστος και αληθινος η αρχη της κτισεως του θεου Οιδα σου τα εργα οτι ουτε ψυχρος ει ουτε ζεστος οφελον ψυχρος ης η ζεστος ουτως οτι χλιαρος ει και ουτε ζεστος ουτε ψυχρος μελλω σε εμεσαι εκ του στοματος μου οτι λεγεις οτι Πλουσιος ειμι και πεπλουτηκα και ουδεν χρειαν εχω και ουκ οιδας οτι συ ει ο ταλαιπωρος και ελεεινος και πτωχος και τυφλος και γυμνος2
Cut 10 words from the beginning and start from the 11th. Drop 20 words from the end of verse 17. The numbers Numerics Gematria pinpoint the most essential part of Jesus' warning, and it is a terrible warning.
By dropping the introductory words, And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
, the warning becomes universal to all churches, all believers for all of history. This is actually true of all the seven churches mentioned in Revelation. None of these warnings can be ignored by any believer.The words of...
Jesus first begins by stating who he is, and what he represents. In this case, the church is not carrying on Jesus' mission.
The Amen. The word we know as αμην in the Greek came from a Hebrew word meaning something that is firm or figuratively trustworthy and true.3 Since Jesus later uses the word true
to further describe himself, this must mean firm.
Jesus is steadfast and unchanging like God. Jesus is the yes
for all that God stands for (2 Corinthians 1:20). Either the church is completely silent, or is only a partial representative of God.
The Witness. Jesus' testimony is prophecy (Revelation 19:10). The church has no witness, prophecy or spirit.
The Faithful. Jesus was obedient to God, even to death (Philippians 2:6-8). The church is disobedient.
(The) True. The church has replaced what was true with what is false (Matthew 15:8-9).
The Beginning Of The Creation Of God. Jesus mentions this because it is something the church has forgotten. The church holds to the theory of the Trinity, confusing Jesus and God. In the Bible, Jesus and God have always had different roles and descriptions. The exact relationship is never articulated/defined. One has to be indoctrinated into the theory of the Trinity in order to begin interpreting everything read in the Bible to assume it means something else.
Six times in the Old Testament the phrase everlasting to everlasting
is used to describe God. No such description exists in the New Testament for Jesus. Many New Testament verses confirm Jesus is eternal and created everything, but none definitively say he had no beginning and was not created. Hebrews 1:9 makes it clear there were others with Jesus. Thus Jesus is not God.
Jesus is well aware of their works.
He does not say they have abandoned their first love (Revelation 2:4). They are not a dead church (Revelation 3:1). Thus the works
which are neither hot or cold refer to something else. And since something lukewarm
in the mouth is not always cause for disgust this is not a matter of taste either. One would only spit something out because of disgust, or because it was useless (Matthew 5:13). Perhaps this best describes the works
of this church.
Works
are not considered separately from the church. They are the church. As a result, not only are the works
rejected, but so also is the church itself.
The numeric section ends with just two thirds of the church's statement on itself: I am rich, I have prospered-
. The last part, and I need nothing
is actually already covered with the first part. This is a self-satisfied church that doesn't know its true state. And this statement is also what Jesus rejects.
Why don't the numeric features include the rest of Jesus' advice? Because some of Jesus' statements about himself at the outset already describe what needs correction. (The purpose of the numeric features is to highlight important topics for the believer. All the believer has to do is read the rest of the context. That's easier than working with numbers Numerics Gematria.)
It is the only church where Jesus recommends they buy from him (Revelation 3:18). Nowhere is this said to any other church. How can one buy
faith or religion? This incongruity describes this church's problem. All it knows is money and buying or selling. It is so steeped in economic ideology Jesus can only speak to it in the same language. And it is the only church where Jesus is outside
(Revelation 3:30). He is not in this church.
Clearly this is a prophecy of the end times. Only today is the economy the main concern of governments and world organizations.
1 2 3 4 5 60 78 60 501 60 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 60 1- 30- 7- 40 60 30- 1- 80- 100- 200- 90 60 the Amen, the witness the 6 7 8 419 20 235 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 70- 9- 90- 100- 60- 90 10- 1- 9 1- 20- 7- 8- 9- 40- 60- 90 faithful and true, 9 10 11 12 7 488 197 904 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 7 1- 80- 400- 7 100- 7- 90 10- 100- 9- 90- 5- 600- 90 the beginning of the creation 13 14 15 16 360 273 74 350 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 100- 60- 200 8- 5- 60- 200 60- 9- 4- 1 90- 60- 200 of the God, I have known of you 17 18 19 20 101 89 169 365 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 100- 1 5- 80- 3- 1 60- 100- 9 60- 200- 100- 5 the works, that neither 21 22 23 1330 14 365 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 500- 200- 400- 80- 60- 90 5- 9 60- 200- 100- 5 cold you are nor 24 25 26 351 485 1330 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 6- 5- 90- 100-60-90 60- 300-5- 20- 60-40 500-200-400-80- 60- 90 hot. I owed cold 27 28 29 30 97 7 351 1050 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 7- 90 7 6- 5- 90- 100- 60- 90 60- 200- 100- 600- 90 you were or hot. Thus 31 32 33 169 660 14 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 60- 100- 9 400- 20- 9- 1- 80- 60- 90 5- 9 because lukewarm you are 34 35 36 20 365 351 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 10- 1- 9 60- 200- 100- 5 6- 5- 90- 100- 60- 90 and neither hot 37 38 39 365 1330 675 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 60- 200- 100- 5 500- 200- 400- 80- 60- 90 30- 5- 20- 20- 600 nor cold, I am about 40 41 42 43 95 140 15 360 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 90- 5 5- 30- 5- 90- 1- 9 5- 10 100- 60- 200 you to vomit out of the 44 45 46 531 290 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 90- 100- 60- 30- 1- 100- 60- 90 30- 60- 200 60- 100- 9 mouth of me. Because 47 48 49 132 169 599 184 185 86 187 88 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 98 199 200 20- 5- 3- 5- 9- 90 60- 100-9 70- 20- 60- 200-90- 9- 60- 90 you are saying that rich 50 51 52 53 20 543 201 202 03 204 205 06 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 17 5- 9- 30-9 10- 1- 9 70- 5- 70- 20- 60- 200-100-7- 10- 1 I am and I have become rich4
Numeric Features
Primary Features
(Derived from Revelation 1:8 and grouped for easy reference.)
A.1Numeric total: 17255 = 5 x 7 x 17 x 29. (See feature 2.3.)
A.4Number of words: 52 = 2 x 2 x 13. (See feature 2.1.)
A.5Number of letters: 217 = 7 x 31. (See feature 2.2.)
B.2.2Every other verse (even): 7163 = 13 x 19 x 29. (See feature 1.)
B.4Every other letter (odd): 7987 = 7 x 7 x 163. (See feature 4.1.)
B.4.2Every other letter (even): 9268 = 2 x 2 x 7 x 331. (See feature 4.2.)
C.3.2First and last letter of each word: 7399 = 7 x 7 x 151. (See feature 6.3.)
D.3.3First letter of each word: 3850 = 2 x 5 x 5 x 7 x 11. (See feature 6.1.)
E.3.3Last letter of each word: 3549 = 3 x 7 x 13 x 13. (See feature 6.2.)
Verse Features
1Even positioned verses: 7163 = 13 x 19 x 29.
Words And Letters
2.1Number of words: 52 = 2 x 2 x 13.
2.2Number of letters: 217 = 7 x 31.
2.3Numeric total: 17255 = 5 x 7 x 17 x 29.
3.Words with an even number of letters.
a) 2 4 6 8 10 14 15 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 b) 78 501 419 235 488 273 74 101 89 365 1330 14 365 351 485 1330 a) 27 29 33 35 36 37 38 40 41 42 44 47 49 50 52 b) 97 351 14 365 351 365 1330 95 140 15 531 132 599 53 543
Position total: 855 = 3 x 3 x 5 x 19. Word total: 11479 = 13 x 883. SF: 896 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 7. SF: 21 = 3 x 7. (No matching feature with words having an odd number of letters.)
60 30 40 30 80 200 60 9 100 90 1 1 7 9 60 7 80 7 7 10 9 5 90 60 8 60 60 4 90 200 1 80 1 100 60 100 500 400 60 5 60 100 6 90 60 60 5 60 500 400 60 7 7 5 100 90 200 600 60 9 20 1 60 5 10 9 200 5 5 100 90 200 5 200 80 90 5 20 90 5 5 1 5 100 200 100 30 100 90 60 60 9 5 5 90 100 70 60 90 60 5 30 10 9 5 20 200 7 1
Total of letters: 7987 = 7 x 7 x 163.
1 7 60 1 100 90 70 90 60 10 9 20 8 40 90 1 400 100 90 100 90 600 100 200 5 200 9 1 60 100 5 3 60 9 200 5 200 80 90 9 200 5 5 100 90 300 20 40 200 80 90 90 6 90 60 60 100 90 100 400 9 80 90 9 1 60 100 6 90 60 60 100 500 400 60 30 20 600 5 30 90 9 10 60 90 60 1 60 30 200 100 20 3 9 60 9 20 200 9 90 9 9 1 70 70 60 100 10
Total of letters: 9268 = 2 x 2 x 7 x 331.
5.1Odd valued letters:
a) 2 4 8 15 21 22 23 25 27 31 32 35 37 41 43 50 54 b) 1 7 1 9 1 9 1 7 9 7 1 7 7 9 5 5 9 a) 56 61 62 64 65 68 72 79 80 84 86 93 103 105 107 b) 1 1 5 3 1 9 5 5 9 5 5 5 7 7 5 a) 119 122 123 127 128 130 131 135 137 145 153 158 159 b) 9 9 1 5 9 1 9 5 5 5 5 5 5 a) 161 163 164 165 174 183 185 186 187 188 192 198 201 b) 5 1 9 5 1 9 5 3 5 9 9 9 5 a) 202 204 206 207 209 215 217 b) 9 9 1 9 5 7 1
Letter total: 357 = 3 x 7 x 17.
5.1.1The number of all odd valued letters in the text: 65 = 5 x 13. (No feature with even valued letters.)
5.2Even valued letters:
a) 1 3 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 24 26 b) 60 30 40 60 30 80 100 200 90 60 70 90 100 60 90 10 20 8 a) 28 29 30 33 34 36 38 39 40 42 44 45 46 47 48 49 b) 40 60 90 80 400 100 90 10 100 90 600 90 100 60 200 8 a) 51 52 53 55 57 58 59 60 63 66 67 69 70 71 73 74 b) 60 200 60 4 90 60 200 100 80 60 100 60 200 100 500 200 a) 75 76 77 78 81 82 83 85 87 88 89 90 91 92 94 95 b) 400 80 60 90 60 200 100 6 90 100 60 90 60 300 20 60 a) 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 104 106 108 109 110 111 112 b) 40 500 200 400 80 60 90 90 6 90 100 60 90 60 a) 113 114 115 116 117 118 120 121 124 125 126 129 132 b) 200 100 600 90 60 100 400 20 80 60 90 10 60 a) 133 134 136 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 146 147 148 b) 200 100 6 90 100 60 90 60 200 100 500 200 400 a) 149 150 151 152 154 155 156 157 160 162 166 167 168 b) 80 60 90 30 20 20 600 90 30 90 10 100 60 a) 169 170 171 172 173 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 b) 200 90 100 60 30 100 60 90 30 60 200 60 100 a) 184 189 190 191 193 194 195 196 197 199 200 203 205 b) 20 90 60 100 70 20 60 200 90 60 90 30 10 a) 208 210 211 212 213 214 216 b) 70 70 20 60 200 100 10
Letter total: 16898 = 2 x 7 x 17 x 71.
a) 1 2 6 7 13 14 20 23 31 32 36 39 46 49 53 57 60 b) 60 1 60 30 60 70 10 1 7 1 100 10 100 8 60 90 100 a) 62 66 69 73 79 81 85 91 97 103 105 106 112 117 120 b) 5 60 60 500 5 60 6 60 500 7 7 6 60 60 400 a) 127 129 132 136 142 146 152 157 159 165 167 170 178 b) 5 10 60 6 60 500 30 90 5 5 100 90 30 a) 181 184 190 193 201 205 208 b) 60 20 60 70 5 10 70
Total: 3850 = 2 x 5 x 5 x 7 x 11.
a) 1 5 6 12 13 19 22 30 31 35 38 45 48 52 56 59 61 b) 60 40 60 90 60 90 9 90 7 7 90 90 200 200 1 200 1 a) 65 68 72 78 80 84 90 96 102 104 105 111 116 119 126 b) 1 9 5 90 9 5 90 40 90 90 7 90 90 9 90 a) 128 131 135 141 145 151 156 158 164 166 169 177 180 b) 9 9 5 90 5 90 600 5 9 10 200 90 200 a) 183 189 192 200 204 207 217 b) 9 90 9 90 9 9 1
Total: 3549 = 3 x 7 x 13 x 13.
6.3First and last letters together: 7399 = 7 x 7 x 151.
7.1.1Letters whose word positions add up to an odd number:
1 3 4 5 6 7 9 20 30 40 70 80 90 300 400 500 600
The total of all their letter positions: 14994 = 2 x 3 x 3 x 7 x 7 x 17. SF: 39 = 3 x 13.
7.1.2Letters whose word positions add up to an even number:
8 10 60 100 200
The total of all their letter positions: 8659 = 7 x 1237.
7.2.1Letters where the sum of the words they appeared in is an odd number:
3 5 6 9 60 90 300 600
Total of their letter positions: 12635 = 5 x 7 x 19 x 19.
7.2.2Letters where the sum of the words they appeared in is an even number:
1 4 7 8 10 20 30 40 70 80 100 200 400 500
Total of their letter positions: 11018 = 2 x 7 x 787.
7.3Letters where the sum of their positions is an odd number:
1 4 6 7 8 9 10 20 40 60 70 90 600
Total of their word positions: 3666 = 2 x 3 x 13 x 47. SF: 65 = 5 x 13. (No corresponding feature with letters where the sum of their positions is an even number.)
8.1Sort the letters according to the sum of the word positions in which they appeared. The upper half of the ranked list:
70 10 30 20 1 200 9 100 5 90 60
Total: 595 = 5 x 7 x 17.
8.2Sort the letters according to their number of appearances in the passage. The upper half of the ranked list:
80 30 7 20 1 200 9 100 5 90 60
Total: 602 = 2 x 7 x 43. SF: 52 = 2 x 2 x 13.
8.3Sort the letters according to the total of the word sums they appeared in. The lower half of the ranked list:
4 3 300 8 40 6 10 7 70 30 600
Total: 1078 = 2 x 7 x 7 x 11.
9.All letters from the lower half of the Greek alphabet:
a) 2 8 21 23 32 56 61 65 123 130 163 174 206 217 64 b) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 a) 186 55 93 107 62 127 50 135 137 145 153 158 159 161 b) 3 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 a) 43 165 72 185 79 187 201 84 209 86 85 136 106 31 b) 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 a) 4 35 103 105 37 215 25 49 26 128 164 68 131 183 15 b) 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 a) 27 80 188 192 198 22 202 204 119 207 122 54 41 166 b) 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 10 a) 39 129 20 216 205 121 154 194 184 211 155 94 24 160 b) 10 10 10 10 10 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 30 a) 152 173 3 203 178 7 96 28 5 125 168 172 47 18 176 b) 30 30 30 30 30 30 40 40 40 60 60 60 60 60 60 a) 89 179 181 91 6 132 51 b) 60 60 60 60 60 60 60
Position total: 12038 = 2 x 13 x 463. (No equivalent feature with the upper half.)
10.Since there are 217 letters (7 x 31), take every 31st letter:
31 62 93 124 155 186 217 7 5 5 80 20 3 1
Total: 121 = 11 x 11.
Conclusion
The numeric features mark this passage as an important message for believers at the end times. It is the only one of the seven churches singled out for expulsion. Wealth and prosperity are not necessarily signs of God’s favour. And dependence on the physical is reliance on shifting sand. To say, We need nothing
is a sign one has entirely missed the mark.
As the prophet Jeremiah warned Israel in his day,
Do not trust in these deceptive words:This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.(Jeremiah 7:4)
So Jesus' angel warns believers not to take confidence in their church saying, This is the body of Christ
or This is the Church.
Notes
- English reference quotes are from the Revised Standard Version, Thomas Nelson Inc., 1972.
- The Hebrew or Greek text is from Bibleworks 3.0 by Hermeneutika, Michael S. Bushell, 1995, translated into HTML entities. Vowel marks and punctuation from the Hebrew have been removed. Greek accent marks and punctuation have also been removed.
- Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Of The Bible, by James Strong, Riverside Book & Bible House, Iowa.
- The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, by New World Bible Translation Committee, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York, Inc., 1969 (This is not to advocate for the Jehovah's Witnesses or to support them. It is listed because the book was a Greek-English interlinear easily obtainable at a time of limited means and when interlinear books were expensive and difficult to find.)