PREPARATION FOR THE THIRD SEASON FEASTS: THE CONGREGATION OF LAODICEA (Revelation 3:19)

LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CONGREGATIONS/ TYPES OF BELIEVERS (Revelation 2-3)

Elul 25 (7 September 2026)

The KING is in the FIELD! AWAKEN the BELIEVERS!

CONGREGATION SEVEN: LAODICEA (Revelation 3:19)

MESSIAH YESHUA TOLD THE CONGREGATION OF LAODICEA:

“As for Me, I REBUKE (reproof, reprimand/ warn, lecture/ talk to) and DISCIPLINE (correct) everyone I LOVE; so, exert yourselves and TURN from your sins!”

We see this same message throughout the Word of YHVH our God.

We are disciplined by YHVH our GO because HE LOVES us like a father loves his child.

Deuteronomy 8 remind the people of their time in the desert after the Exodus out of Egypt and then we read in verses 5-6: “Think deeply about it: YHVH was disciplining you, just as a man disciplines his child. So OBEY the mitzvot (the Commandments) YHVH your God, living as He directs (guides, leads) and fearing Him.”

Provers 3:11-12 says: “Me son, don’t despise (hate) YHVH’s discipline or resents (dislikes) His reproof; for YHVH corrects those HE LOVES like a father who delight in His son.”

And in Proverbs 4:26 we read: “Level the path for your feet; let all your ways be properly prepared; then deviate neither right nor left; and keep your foot far from evil.”

Isaiah says in chapter 35:3 “Strengthen your drooping arms, and steady your tottering (wobbling, staggering, shaking) knees. Say to the fainthearted, ‘Be STRONG and UNAFRAID! Here is your God; He will come with vengeance; with God’s retribution He will come and SAVE you.”

And the writer of the Book of Hebrews refers to all the above-mentioned verses in Isaiah and Proverbs when he says in Hebrews 12:4-13 “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in the contest (the fight) against sin. Also, you have forgotten the counsel which speaks with you as sons: ‘My son, don’t despise the discipline of YHVH or become despondent when He corrects you. For YHVH disciplines those HE LOVES and whips everyone He accepts as a son (Proverbs 3:11-12). Regard your endurance a discipline; God (the Father) is dealing with you as sons. For what son goes undisciplined by his father? All legitimate sons undergo discipline; so, if you don’t, you’re an illegitimate son and not a true son! Furthermore, we had physical fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them; how much more should we submit to our spiritual (capital letter) Father (YHVH our God) and LIVE! For they disciplined us only for a short time and only as best they could; but He disciplines us in a way that provides genuine benefit to us and enables us to share in HIS HOLINESS. Now, all discipline, while it is happening, does indeed seem painful, not enjoyable; but for those who have been TRAINED BY IT, it later PRODUCES its PEACEFUL FRUIT, which is RIGHTOEUSNESS. So, STRENGTHEN your drooping arms, and steady your tottering (wobbling, staggering, shaking) knees (Isaiah 35:3) and make a level PATH for your feet (Proverbs 4:26); so that what has been injured will not get wrenched out of joint but rather will BE HEALED.”

And likewise, we are called to turn from sin from start to end in the Word of YHVH our Father.

We read in the well-known 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 “…, if My people, who bear My Name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face and turn from their evil ways, I will hear from heaven, FORGIVE their sin and HEAL their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears will pay attention to the prayer made in this place.”

The Jewish Complete Study Bible explains: T’shuvah, translated either as “repentance” or “returning”, has a specific meaning in Scripture and is clearly outlined in 2 Chronicles 7:14. The people were to show humility and respect before YHVH their God and pray a prayer of turning within (a turn in heart and mind), of seeking His face. The act of t’shuvah requires not only humility in prayer, but an actual change of behavior. The early Messianic followers of Yeshua were commonly known as “the Way”, as they followed THE WAY of YHVH and HIS MESSIAH. To “repent” means to RETURN to following the Torah (Genesis to Deuteronomy) in humility and respect.

Isaiah 55:6-7 says: “Seek YHVH while He is still available, call on Him while He is still nearby. Let the wicked person abandon his way and the evil person his thoughts; let him RETURN to YHVH, and he will have MERCY on him; let him RETURN to our God, for He will FREELY FORGIVE.”

Proverbs 28:13 tells us: “He who conceals his sins will not succeed; he who confesses (admits, pleads guilty) and abandons (leaves, forsakes, rejects) them will GAIN MERCY.

In Matthew 3:2 we read John the Baptist calls out to people to: “TURN from your sins to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!” And we read in verse 6, confessing their sins, they were immersed (baptised) by him in the Jorden River.

Sin is a violation of YHVH our God’s Torah (His Word in Genesis to Deuteronomy including His Ten Commandments) as we read in 1 John 3:4 and the transgression of God’s instructions, which He gave to His people to enable them to LIVE LIFE for their own GOOD, to be both holy and pleasing to Him. Confession enables a believer to turn back to God the Father and follow His WAYS.

In Matthew 4:17 we read from the start of Messiah Yeshua’s ministry on earth He proclaimed, “TURN from your sins to God (the Father), for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!” (Also read Matthew 5:10, 10:7-8 and Mark 1:15).

In Acts 2:38 after being filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter told the people from different nations who came to Jerusalem for Shavu’ot (the Feast of Pentecost) who listened to his sermon and whose heart were touched by the Word of God and they wanted to know what they should do and Peter told them: “TURN from sin, RETURN to God (the Father), and each of you be immersed (baptized) on the authority of YEHSUA the MESSIAH into FORGIVENSS of your sins, and you will RECEIVE the GIFT of the Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit)!” And in Acts 3:19 he spoke at the Temple and said: “…, REPENT and TURN to God (the Father), so that your sins may be erased; so that times of refreshing may come from YHVH (the Father’s) presence; and He may sent the MESSIAH appointed in advance for you, that is YESHUA.”

And in 1 John 1:9 we are told by John: “If we acknowledge (admit/ disclose, confess) our sins, then, since He is trustworthy and just, He will FORGIVE them and PURIFY us from all wrongdoing.”

SOUL SEARCHING

1). Do I see rebukes (reprimands and warnings) from God’s WORD as negative criticism (disapproval, blame) or loving discipline to guide me back towards living a good, protected and happy life? 

2). Do I understand the destructive power of sin?

3). When I hear the WORD of GOD, do I OBEY and TURN away from what He tells me is not the right and good way of the abundant life He wants to give me?

REPENTANCE, RESTORATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT

• Because YHVH our God LOVES us, He chastens (punishes, disciplines) us, rebukes us and calls us to REPENT, to keep us from the way of sin that will eventually destroy us and our loved ones.

• TURNING from our sins with remorse (regret, sorrow) also requires a DELIBERATE CHANGE of our HEARTS including our THOUGHTS. A DECISION to TURN away from worldly opinions, materialism and pleasures to what ABBA FATHER tells us will bring us PEACE and CONTENTMENT.

• The PROCESS of REPENTANCE forms a part of every believer’s walk with YHVH our God, irrespective of the duration we have been believers. The REPENTANCE PROCESS is represented by the BRONZE LAVER/ WASHBASIN in front to the HOLY PLACE of the TABERNACKLE. The PRIESTS had to wash their hands and feet every time before they entered into the HOLY PLACE. And it still holds true for us today. Although we have been saved by GRACE through FAITH when we come to BELIEVE in MESSIAH YEHSUA taking away our sin, as a FREE GIFT of ABBA FATHER (Ephesians 2:8-9), represented by the BRONZE ALTAR a picture of the CROSS, while we are on earth we will still sin accidentally and therefore we need to REPENT every day and be taught by the HOLY SPIRIT how to RESIST sin. So like we will take a bath or shower every day, washing of the dirt and sweat accumulating on our bodies by living on this earth, our souls (heart and mind) needs cleansing every day by the WATER of THE WORD. So we look into this WATER and see where we accumulated dirt in our hearts and minds, leading to sinful words and acts during the day and we wash it off through REPENTANCE, by:

1). Acknowledging what we have done wrong against YHVH our God, because as David says in Psalm 51:4 all sin we do, we actually commit against God our Father, because we transgress His commandments.

2). Confessing and renouncing the sin we committed, meaning we openly admit our sins to God our Father and commit to TURN away from it.

3). Accepting YHVH our God’s FORGIVENESS and having faith in His RESTORATION POWER.

4). Seeking God our Father’s guidance through His Holy Spirit. We therefore allow the Holy Spirit to remind us of what is written in the Word of Abba Father and to lead us to live our lives accordingly in the example, in the footsteps of Yeshua our Messiah.