Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.

Seven is the number of completion and there are seven churches that John wrote about. So we are finished with them. Or are we?

Some could have noticed that I edited those passages and left out the first verse of every letter. John was not instructed to write to the churches themselves but to the angel that is in those cities. 

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.”

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.’”

 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.’”

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.’”

 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.’”

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.’”

 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.’”

Each and every preamble to those letters is different. Each one can be traced back to biblical events and the last one is the words of the Amen, as in the Alpha and Omega, He who was first and last. The completion has order, even from the very beginning.

Here is the problem with our understanding of order. There is no time stamp. We may see that some things have occurred in our past and some towards our future but there is nothing that says where we stand in time.

Remember Jesus said to beware of those who said “There is the Christ.”

To the Church in Laodicea

I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 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.

Here in the last church called out we will discover language that has been argued over for decades without gaining any superior position in theology. That is the issue of why cold churches are not spit out of His mouth but lukewarm churches are spit out.

Rather than debating that issue let us discuss the characteristics of that “cold church”.

“I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.” Well that is a lie and we all know how God feels about liars. They are “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”

God counsels them on how to overcome their deficits. The one attribute not listed is deaf, so there is some hope that they can come to grips with their condition.

What is a cold church?

Perhaps it is a small group of believers that only take care of themselves and wish not to be infected by lies and vain hope. They take care of their own and do not support evangelical ministries. The life they live is their witness and they will answer for their faith if asked but do not proselytize as God calls His, not man.

Have I ever witnessed such a church? Yes but they have no membership, they are all family in the truest sense, by spirit not by blood. They are a rare breed and I could see why God would not spit them out.