Revelation 3:20-22 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
The church at Laodicea received a stern warning in chapter 3 of John’s Revelation. We would do well to reflect on it.
The word “Laodicea” is a compound in the Greek; “Laos” which principally means “people”, and “dike”, defined as “principle or decision”. One rendering might read, “rule of the people”, or, in modern terms, “Democracy”. In the western world, we have an affection and even a deep commitment to Democracy. Yet this form of government, “rule of the people” is fatally flawed… because we are fatally flawed by our sin nature, thinking we are self-sufficient and worldly-wise, yet pitifully incapable of ruling righteously.
The Laodiceans apparently lived up to their name, trusting in their own resources, wisdom, and capacity, and assessing themselves as quite sufficient. “We are rich, increased with goods, and have need of nothing”, they said. There are democracies and churches today that may be saying much the same. But trusting in their own sufficiency and judgment became a platform for excluding God so much at Laodicea that the Lord told them He was actually OUTSIDE the church, knocking, and desiring to come in! Think, how did a church become a place where the Lord was outside, looking in?
We are learning of late not to expect too much from “democracy” as a form of government. That being the case, it should be even more evident that “Laodicean” churches (and Christians) are in serious trouble. Self-rule, self-sufficiency, and self-satisfaction are deadly to spiritual life. God says these folks are “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked”. But Yeshua is standing at the door, longing for repentance and ready and able to deliver from self-sufficiency and lukewarm faith. Can you hear Him knocking…?
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As we continue this study of the Dead Sea scrolls, authorities announced the discovery of several more scrolls as their extensive search for more hidden caves and treasures continues. Given the “coincidence” of the events described in previous devotionals, God’s providential involvement in these developments becomes clear. His Word tells us what is about to happen, and new discoveries of Biblical texts seem to be directly related to modern prophetic fulfillments.
As we continue this study of the Dead Sea Scrolls we jump to 1963 and the unearthing of Masada.
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As we continue into the historical and prophetic significance of the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls, I take you back to 1948. Professor Eleazar Sukenik discovered that Mar Athanasius Yeshue Samuel, the Syrian Orthodox Archbishop of Jerusalem purchased several of the Dead Sea scrolls. So Professor Sukenik visited the archbishop and took several photos of the scrolls which were then sent to William Albright, a Biblical archaeologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
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