(See the series here)
Are we witnessing the last legs and laps of
Laodicean lackadaisicalness?
In many respects, Church Americana correlates itself with the nation of Israel, both ancient and modern nations. For example, their Egyptian slavery is correlated with the church’s pre-salvation sinfulness; their transit through the (dry) Red Sea-bed is correlated with the church’s spiritual and physical baptism into The Body of Jesus Christ; David’s triumph over the giant, Goliath, is correlated with the church’s fight of faith and victory in Christ over satanic forces; the ancient Israel temples are correlated with the promised return of Jesus to rule the entire Earth from His headquarters in Jerusalem; their Passover feast is correlated with the New Testament’s Last Supper and communion ritual; spiritual Israel represents the olive branch into which the gentile church is grafted, etc. Moreover, God’s election and undying love for the remnant of ancient Israel, to whom He is ‘married’ (because of His relationship with Abraham) correlates to the spiritual marriage relationship between Jesus and His Bride, the church (and the predicted new heavenly city of Jerusalem).
Conveniently,
however, Church
Americana omits at least three extremely important correlations with ancient
Israel, correlations that speak to the current Laodicean Church trait.
#1. God Once Abhorred Israel and
Judah: The last several generations of the then-separated nation (into 10
northern tribes called Israel, and 2 southern tribes called Judah) first became
so lukewarm and then horribly sinful that God actually loathed and abhorred
the majority of the people! After l-o-n-g periods of Grace, then warnings that
were flat out rejected, and His prophets slain, God moved to point 2 of His
declared strategy in managing human affairs, as summarized in Jeremiah 9:24. He
judged the 10 northern tribes into oblivion (generally referred
to as the lost tribes of Israel), starting with the Assyrian invasion and
exile, then their dispersal across Europe and Eurasia. Decades later, He judged
the 2 southern tribes, starting with the Babylonian invasion and exile. In both
cases, He promised to save a small remnant, to whom He would show mercy once
again, starting with the regathering of the remnant in Babylon back to the
promise land, and eventually with the worldwide regathering of Jews to the
promise land “…until no more room is found for them.” (Zechariah 10:10)
So
how does this correlate with the Laodicean Church trait? In the final episode of His
revelation to John, The Apostle, in Revelation 3:14-22, Jesus, then in His glorified
form, dictated letters to 7 churches. His letter to the last church (at Laodicea) reveals an abhorrent
loathing of lukewarmness that invaded that church, resulting in believers
in-name only who demonstrate no real, intimate ‘marriage relationship’ with
Christ, and none of God’s power impacting the world through them. Though it was still
on the receiving end of Grace, this church was threatened with the most
severe judgment, far more severe than judgments against ancient Israel
and Judah. Christ’s threatened judgment was the expulsion of
lukewarm members of this church age out of His mouth and body.
Severe?? I’d say so!
Lesson
for Lackadaisical Laodicean Christians:
Avoid selective correlations with ancient Israel
