PREPARATION FOR THE THIRD SEASON FEASTS: THE CONGREGATION OF LAODICEA (Revelation 3:14)

Elul 20 (2 September 2026)

The KING is in the FIELD! AWAKEN the BELIEVERS!

CONGREGATION SEVEN: LAODICEA (Revelation 3:14)

Whereas the CONGREGATIONS of SMYRNA and FILADELPHIA received NO rebukes (reprimand/ serious warning) from MESSIAH YESHUA, the BELIEVERS in the CONGREGATION of LAODICEA ONLY RECEIVED REBUKES and NO COMMENDATION (no praise).

LAODICEA was during the prosperous years of the Roman Empire, the richest city of the seven cities in Asia. The city was known for comprehensive banking services, the wool industry and a medical school where eye ointment was made. The city however had a problem with water supply. They built an aqueduct to take water from nearby hot springs to the city, but when the water reached the city, it was neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm.

They represent the APOSTATE Congregation, meaning the believers who departed from the TRUTH, falling away and rejected God the Father’s rule (law, instruction, decrees) over their lives. King Saul, the first king of Israel was an example of such a believer. We read in 1 Samuel 15:11 YHVH said: “I regret setting up Saul as king, because he has TURNED BACK from FOLLOWING ME and hasn’t OBEYED MY ORDERS (instructions, guidelines, commands).”

Apostasy is not just error or ignorance, but a deliberate turning away from THE TRUTH (the WORD of YHVH), willfully REJECTING Messiah Yeshua as Savior (Rescuer, Redeemer) and God the Father’s RULE (law, instruction, decrees) over a person’s life.

The CONGREGATION of LAODICEA represents the APOSTATE CONGREGATION/ CHURCH which emerged from the early twentieth century onwards. They have LOST CONFIDENCE in the TRUTH of God’s Word, the SUPERIORITY (authority and control) of MESSIAH YESHUA and in GOD as CREATOR, particularly through the Liberal Theology (religion, doctrine) at the beginning of the twentieth century. This so dulled the CONGREGATIONS that they were ready to embrace FLASE BELIEFS such as evolution and eugenics (a set of beliefs and practices aiming to improve the genetic quality of the human population). Congregations started to concentrate on being “people-friendly”/ humanistic (being careful and cautious not to offend people with the TRUTH of the WORD of GOD) rather than a call to RADICAL (thorough) and COSTLY OBEDIENCE to YHVH our GOD and DISCIPLESHIP.

Laodicea-type Congregations/ believers embrace various human philosophies (viewpoints, values, ideas, beliefs) but REJECT the SUPREME and HIGHER WISDOM (understanding, knowledge, insight) of GOD the FATHER’s WORD. Such congregations/ believers become materialistic (money-oriented, worldly, greedy), humanistic and lawless (rejecting the commandments of YHVH).

MESSIAH YESHUA REVEALS HIMSELF TO THE CONGREGATION OF LAODICEA AS:

1. The AMEN.

Isaiah 65:16, speaks of THE GOD OF TRUTH, literally meaning THE GOD OF AMEN. This underscores that GOD is not merely TRUTHFUL, HE IS THE TRUTH PERSONIFIED! The TRUSTWORTHY ANCHOR of EVERY PROMISE in HIS WORD. Believer’s future HOPE rests on HIS immutable (unchangeable, undisputable) character embedded in HIS OWN NAME, as HE HIMSELF confirms and reveals Himself in Revelation 3:14 as “the AMEN.” MESSSIAH YESHUA is therefore PROCLAIMED as the FINAL CONFIRMATION, the AMEN, the ABSOLUTE TRUTH of ALL GOD the FATHER’s PURPOSES, the LIVING EMBODIMENT (personification) of COVENANT FIDELITY (loyalty, faithfulness, reliability, trustworthiness).

The Nelson’s Foundational Bible Dictionary explains: the word AMEN comes from the ancient verb “aman”, meaning confirm, support, be established, believe. We read in Genesis 15:6 that Abraham “believed (a form of “aman”) in YHVH, and He counted it to him for RIGHTEOUSNESS.” It could be paraphrased as: “Abraham said “amen” to God, and He justified him.” While it is not a literal translation, it does express THE TRUTH of justification by FAITH. The New Testament uses Abraham as a figure representing SALVATION by GRACE through FAITH. He is the father of the FAITHFUL of ALL believers in YHVH’s WORD. The word “amen” is derived from the word “aman” and amen is pronounced in Hebrew as “ah-mane”, sounding like “aw-mane”, clearly recognising the root word “aman”.  It means verily, truly and assuredly (certainly, definitely, absolutely, undoubtedly).

The Bible Hub explains, the word AMEN appears approximately 50 times in the HEBREW BIBLE and serves as the SPIRIT-inspired congregational “YES” that links human response to divine revelation. Whether voiced by an individual or by a congregation of people, it SEALS COVENANTS, RATIFIES PRAYERS, AFIRMS PRAISE and WITNESS to the ABSOLUTE RELIABILITY of YHVH. Read Deuteronomy 17:15-26, Jeremiah 11:5, 1 Kings 1:36, 1 Chronicles 16:36, Nehemiah 5:13 & 8:6, Psalm 41:3, 72:19, 89:52 & 106:48.

The word, “AMEN”, therefore speaks of FAITH and FIRMNESS and speaking it is an ACT OF FAITH – staking one’s life on the firmness of GOD THE FATHER’s UNFAILABLE (impossible to fail) WORD.

Whether uttered by an individual or a multitude, “AMEN” draws believers into PARTNERSHIP with DIVINE ACTION. It is the believer’s response “these words are both TRUE and for me.” Jeremiah 28 confirms it is a boundary against falsehood, only GOD GIVEN WORDS should receive the SEAL of AMEN, safeguarding believers from deception.

And MESSIAH YESHUA further reveals HIMSELF as:

2. The FAITHFUL and TRUE WITNESS

We read in Revelation 1:4-5 John addresses the SEVEN CONGREGATIONS with the words: “Grace and shalom (peace) to you from the ONE who IS, who WAS and WHO IS COMING; from the SEVENFOLD SPIRIT before HIS throne; and from the YESHUA the MESSIAH, the FAITHFUL WITNESS, the FIRSTBORN from the dead and the RULER of the EARTH’s KINGS.”

Messiah Yeshua is therefore described as the FAITHFULL WITNESS by John and in HIS REVELATION to John in Revelation 3:14 MESSIAH YESHUA reveals HIMSELF as being the FAITHFUL and TRUE WITNESS.

The Nelson’s Foundational Bible Dictionary explains: A WITNESS in four distinct ways, namely:

• A memorial event serving as a WITNESS like the heap of stones set up by Jacob and Laban in WITNESS of their COVENANT as we reading Genesis 31:46-52 and Joshua who set up a stone in WITNESS of his COVENANT with the people of Israel according to Joshua 24:27.

• A person who gives TESTIMONY, especially in LEGAL MATTERS. Read examples in Ruth 4:9 and Jeremiah 32:10. And in criminal cases it was necessary to have TWO or more WITNESSESS (read Deuteronomy 17:6, Matthew 18:16 and Hebrews 10:28).

• THE WITNESS of BELIEVERS TESTIFYING about our FAITH in MESSIAH YESHUA (read Luke 24:44-49, Hebrews 12:1, 1 John 1:1-4).

All BELIEVERS are CALLED to be WITNESSESS of the GOOD NEWS of SALVATION (read Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-16 and Luke 24:44-49), just as MESSIAH YESHUA was as we read in Isaiah 61:1 and confirmed by Him in Luke 4:18.

The Greek word for WITNESS is MARTYR, a word that came to denote one who had SUFFERED DEATH rather than abandon their faith. We find examples of these people in Acts 22:20, Revelation 2:13, 6:9, 12:11 & 17 and 20:4.

• A WITNESS of GOD the FATHER of MESSIAH YESHUA. Read Matthew 3:16-17, Luke 9:28-35 and 1 John 5:6-12 explaining: “He is the one who came by means of WATER and BLOOD, YESHUA the MESSIAH…And the SPIRIT bears WITNESS, because the SPIRIT IS THE TRUTH. There are THREE WITNESSESS – the (HOLY) SPIRIT, the WATER (a picture of THE WORD of GOD) and the BLOOD (the sacrifice of Messiah Yeshua for our sin) – and these THREE are in AGREEMENT. If we accept human WITNESS, GOD’s (the Father’s) WITNESS IS STRONGER, because it is THE WITNESS which GOD (the FATHER) has given about HIS SON. Those who KEEP TRUSTING (believing) in the SON (Messiah Yeshua) of GOD (the Father) have this WITNESS IN them. Those who do not KEEP TRUSTING (believing) God (the Father) have made Him out to be a liar, because they have not TRUSTED (believed) in the WITNESS which GOD has given about HIS SON. And this is the WITNESS: God (the Father) has GIVEN us ETERNAL LIFE, and THIS LIFE is IN HIS SON (Messiah Yeshua). Those who have the SON have the LIFE; those who do not have the SON of GOD do not have LIFE. ”

• A WITNESS of the (HOLY) SPIRIT in man. We read in Romans 8:14-16 “ALL who are LED by God’s (the Father’s) SPIRIT are God’s sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to bring you back into fear; on the contrary, you received the SPIRIT, who makes us sons and by whose POWER we cry out, “Abba! (that is, “Dear Father!”). The SPIRIT Himself bears WITNESS with our own spirits that we are CHILDREN of GOD (the father).

We also know, THE WORD in itself is a WITNESS and MESSIAH YESHUA IS THE WORD (John 1:1-14). And we know the WORD is a LAMP for our FEET and a LIGHT on our PATH (Psalm 119:105).

And in John 8:12-18 Messiah Yeshua confirms: “I AM the LIGHT of the world; whoever FOLLOWS ME will never walk in darkness but will have the LIGHT which gives LIFE.” The Pharisees then opposed Him by saying: “…you’re TESTIFYNG on your own behalf; your TESTIMONY is not valid.” And MESSIAH YESHUA answered them: “Even if I do TESTIFY on My own behalf, MY TESTIMONY is INDEED VALID; because I know where I came from and where I AM going. You judge by merely human standards. As for Me, I pass judgement on no one; but if I were indeed to PASS JUDGEMENT, MY JUDGEMENT would be VALID; because it is not I alone who JUDGE, but I and the ONE (referring to God the Father) who sent Me. (remember Messiah Yeshua did not come as the JUDGE at His FIRST COMING, HE came as the LAMB of GOD to pay the price with HIS BLOOD for our sin, but at HIS SECOND COMING HE will come as BOTH JUDGE and KING). And even in your Torah (Genesis to Deuteronomy), it is written that the TESTIMONY of TWO people is VALID. I MYSELF TESTIFY on My own behalf, and so does the FATHER who sent Me.”

And in the vision of John in Revelation 19 on the SECOND COMING of MESSIAH YESHUA, it is again confirmed in verse 11 that: “Next I (John) saw heaven opened, and there before me was a white horse. Sitting on it was the one called FAITHFUL and TRUE, and it is in RIGHTEOUSNESS that HE PASSES JUDGEMENT and goes to battle.”

And in the last chapter of the Word, Revelation 22:6 the WORDS are confirmed as: “TRUE and TRUSTWORTHY.”

And lastly MESSIAH YESHUA further reveals HIMSELF as:

3. The RULER of GOD the FATHER’s CREATION

We also read this description of Him in Revelation 1:5 namely, He is “the RULER of the EARTH’s KINGS.”

And Paul explains it as follows in 1 Corinthians 15:22-25 saying: “For just as in connection with Adam ALL die, so in connection with the MESSIAH ALL will be made ALIVE. But each in his own order: the MESSIAH is the FIRSTFRUTIS; then those who BELONG to the MESSIAH, at the TIME of HIS COMING; then the culmination (the conclusion/ at the end), when He hands over THE KINGDOM to GOD the FATHER, after having put an end to every rulership, yes, to every authority and power. For He has to RULE until He puts ALL his enemies under His feet.”

And in the vision of John of MESSIAH YESHUA’s SECOND COMING we read in Revelation 19:16 “And on His robe and on His thigh He has a NAME WRITTEN: KING of the kings and MASTER of the masters.” Also read Revelation 17:14.

SOUL SEARCHING

1. Am I a FAITHFUL WITNESS of the TRUTH of the WORD of GOD?

2. Do I REJECT the WORD of GOD in favor of the opinions of men?

REPENTANCE, RESTORATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT

• We are to follow in MESSIAH YESHUA’s FOOTSTEPS so that we may be blameless (innocent) and pure children of God the Father, amidst of a twisted and perverted generation, and shine like stars in the sky as we hold on to THE WORD of LIFE and LIVE as FAITHFUL WITNESSESS (Philippians 2:15).