Laodicea – “The Amen”

In the last of the seven letters the living glories of the divine author have a special splendour as they stand out against the dark background of Laodicean departure – just as we often gaze at the accentuated beauty of the setting sun against the gathering gloom of the storm clouds. How fitting it is that in such a condition of false security and lukewarm profession the Lord should tell us that it is ‘the Amen’ who speaks – the word being the well-known ‘verily, verily’ of John’s gospel. As we recall that all the promises of God are yea and amen in Him, we might call this title the signature of God to all He has for us. In fact, every blessing and every grace comes to us through the Lord Jesus, so that we do indeed know Him as the Amen.

The proud and self-satisfied Laodiceans might add up their riches, but Christ was outside and because they could not add the Amen to their total additions they were only poor – naked – miserable. The assembly through which the blessings of God are flowing is that which has bought the gold – has put on the raiment and has used the eye-salve (Rev. 3. 18), but above all can write at the sum of their blessings the great signature – ‘the Amen’.

The second thought in this presentation of the Lord Jesus is that He is the faithful witness. How these deluded Laodiceans needed to know this in their tragic claim, ‘I … have need of nothing’. What a refreshment to turn aside from the ruin of human witness to Him ‘who is not a disappointment’, and in the words of another, ‘faithful amidst unfaithfulness, ‘midst darkness only light’.

Lastly, He is the beginning of the creation of God. The crea­tion under the first man, Adam, has utterly failed and culminates in the production of the conditions we have in this church, but in the very place where the first man with every advantage of circumstance brings in all that Laodicea stands for – the second Man – the Lord from heaven, the beginning of the creation of God, has triumphed gloriously, restoring that which He took not away. Very soon we shall see the full vista of that creation, and as age succeeds age fresh wonders will be opened to our raptured gaze.