Revelation 3:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

NIV: Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.

NASB: Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

CSB: As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be zealous and repent.

NLT: I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.

KJV: As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

NKJV: As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.

In this verse Jesus summons the Laodiceans to mend their ways, to be fervent about repenting. They need to turn from their lethargy and restore their relationship with God. In spite of their wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked condition, Jesus still loves them. He explains that He rebukes and disciplines those whom He loves.

Sometimes, God uses a hard trial or a physical affliction to discipline His erring children, but He exercises the discipline as a loving father. Hebrews 12:10 explains that fathers discipline their children for a short time as it seems best to them, but our heavenly Father disciplines us for our own good, that we may share His holiness. Further, although the discipline is painful, it doesn't last forever, and it produces righteousness in us (Hebrews 12:11). When we undergo discipline, we should not think God has abandoned us. Indeed, He is investing time in our spiritual education. His purpose is not to make us bitter but to make us better.

Revelation 3:14–22 is Jesus' final and most strident message, addressed to the church at Laodicea. We learn from this assessment that the Laodicean church was lukewarm, smug, and self-satisfied. It boasted about its wealth and need of nothing. But the church deceived itself. In terms of its spiritual condition, it was wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Jesus urged the church to turn to Him, as He was positioned outside the church, inviting whoever heard His voice to open the door and welcome Him. Laodicea is the only church of seven which receives only criticism, and no positive remarks.

These final letters symbolize Church history from AD 1500 to the Rapture, the event that transports the Church from earth to be with Jesus. Sardis had a good reputation, but it was actually spiritually dead. Philadelphia had a good opportunity to spread the gospel, and it had kept Jesus' word and had remained loyal to Him. As such, Jesus promises to reward this church's conquerors. Laodicea was proud of its wealth, but was spiritually lukewarm, a characteristic that Jesus detests. He promises to fellowship with anyone in the church who would heed His voice and welcome Him. Laodicea is the only church given no praise by Christ.

This chapter concludes the letters Jesus instructed the apostle John to write to seven churches in Asia Minor. Those messages began in chapter 2. This passage ends the section of Revelation that describes the things that are (Revelation 1:19), meaning the things which existed in John's lifetime. Chapter 1 describes what John had seen (Revelation 1:19), and chapter 4 begins John's account of what was to take place in the future (Revelation 1:19).

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''

Accessed 5/7/2024 1:08:08 PM