The present-day visitor to Laodicea finds a large area littered with broken marble, tops of stone masonry walls, and here and there public buildings: two theaters, a large stadium, nearby it a water tower, an odeon, and the nymphaeum which was excavated in 1961-1963. In the side of the hill just as one approaches Laodicea one can also see the truncated conduits that were part of the water supply system for the city. Much, much more is obviously right under foot.
Laodicea’s origins, as far as are presently known, go back to one of the Hellenistic kings in the middle of the third century B.C. It Is supposed to have been named or renamed then by Antiochus II in honor of his wife, Laodicea, but the origins must go back earlier. Cicero lived in Laodicea in the early months of 50 B.C. administering justice and trying to make up for the distress caused throughout the province by his predecessor, Ap-pius Claudius. One of the requests Cicero turned down at this time was that of sending wild animals to his friends for their games in Rome. Incidentally, Cicero’s letters are a most fruitful source for details on life and personalities of his time.
The city was at the crossroads of north-south traffic between Sardis and Perga and east-west traffic from the Euphrates to Ephesus. Laodicea quickly became a rich city, rich enough to be able to rebuild itself without outside help after the destructive earthquake of 60 A.D. In common with many of the Hellenistic cities there was a prosperous Jewish colony established there well before the Christian era. The city’s reputation was for its money transactions and the good quality of raven-black wool grown in the area. Many of the coins were stamped with the image of Zeus Azeus, the main god of the city and possibly the god of a temple there dating before Antiochus.
About twenty kilometers west of Laodicea, where the Lycus (Curuksu) River passes through the Phrygian Gate there used to be a famous temple to Men Karou. Strabo reports, “Between Laodicea and Carura is a temple of Men Carus which, is held in remarkable veneration. In my own time a great… school of medicine has been established. A market was also held there under the protection of the god.”
One of the principles of medicine at that time was that compound diseases required compound medicines. One of the compounds used for strengthening the ears was made from the spice nard (spikenard? an aromatic plant). Galen says that it was originally made only In Laodicea, although by the second century A.D. It was made in other places also. Galen also described a medicine for the eyes made of Phrygian stone. Aristotle spoke of it as a Phrygian powder. Ramsay tries to explain what kind of medicine it was by saying it was not an ointment but a cylindrical collyrium that could be powdered and then spread on the part affected. The term used by John in Revelation is the same that Galen uses to describe the preparation of the Phrygian stone. Would not these medicinal concoctions be a reason why John cautions the Laodiceans to buy “ointment for your eyes so that you may see” (Rev. 3:18)?
Possibly John had the water of Hierapolis which was just across the valley from Laodicea in mind when he said, “I know all your ways; you are neither hot nor cold. How I wish you were either hot or cold! But because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Rev. 3:15-17)! This abhorance of those who refused to commit themselves utterly to their faith helped preserve the early church.
John promised in “the words of the Amen” (Rev. 3:14) that for those who were sensitive enough to hear and respond to what was being said, the Spirit would join them in the great feast. “Here I stand knocking at the door; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and sit down to supper with him and he with me” (Rev. 3:20). John concluded this series of letters to the Seven Churches with an even more attractive promise from the Spirit: “To him who is victorious I will grant a place on my throne, as I myself was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Rev. 3:21).
Laodicea,
Laodicea
Laodicea lies at a major crossroads in the valleys of Asia Minor, in what today is Turkey. The city was situated on a hill overlooking fertile valleys and majestic mountains. In Roman times, the city was an important center for administration and commerce. Court cases from the region were heard at Laodicea and funds were placed in the city’s banks for safekeeping. Although damaged by earthquakes during the reign of Augustus (27 B.C.-A.D.14) and again in A.D. 60, the city kept rebuilding and prospering.
Letter to Laodicea (which means “judgment” or “judging the people”)
Read this letter’s full text in Revelation 3:14-22
Background
Laodicea was situated 60 kilometers southeast of Philadelphia and was a famous health resort. The city was popular for its hot baths and the collyrium eye salve that was produced there.
The hot water for the baths was ingeniously piped to the resorts in insulated pipes, but because of the distances involved, the water was often only lukewarm by the time it arrived at its destination. The symbol of lukewarmness applied to the Laodicean Church is thus very appropriate.
Mineral-rich waters are also extremely unpalatable when taken lukewarm, and this feature makes the words of the Faithful and True Witness regarding those who refuse to accept His counsel all the more appropriate.
The church in Laodicea was likely established by Paul’s companion Epaphras.
Prophetic Application
All the letters were written to the Church to God’s people, His representatives. The letters reflect the spiritual condition of the Church in each time period and some of the letters contain severe reproofs. These reproofs were designed to touch the hearts of God’s people, so that these wrongs might be corrected and the promises validated.
In all the letters, except the letter to Laodicea, there is a commendation, and it is vital for God’s people at the end of time to take heed of the Laodicean counsel because, sadly, we have done nothing to commend.
The message to Laodicea is not a message of hopelessness. It is a message of hope. The message is not designed to discourage but to encourage. If the message is heeded, then the malady of the Church can be corrected. The message stems from One who can read the heart. It stems from the Faithful and True Witness to deny the message is to deny the omnipotence of God.
And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God (Revelation 3:14).
The message is from the Amen the One in whom there is no lie, the Creator. The word “beginning” is translated from the Greek arche, which, when taken in the active sense, means the initiator of the action, in this case Creation. In this introduction is concealed all the majesty of Christ, His character, and His law.
The memorial of His Creation is the Sabbath, which is also the seal of God making the law of God valid. The message to Laodicea is to His people, the remnant of those who obey God’s commandments and hold the testimony of Jesus.
Laodicea is a very large mound located to the north of Denizli. It was founded by Seleucid kings during the third century B.C. By the New Testament era it was a very large and very important city. It had evidently replaced both nearby Hierapolis and Colossae as the most important city in the area.
It was located near good water sources although an aqueduct brought water to the city from the south. Most importantly it was located at a key road junction. The major road coming from the east (Syria, Mesopotamia, Arabia, India, China) came to Laodicea and from there one could continue west, 112 mi. [180 km.], to the port city of Ephesus, or head northwest towards Philadelphia from where roads headed either west to Smyrna, or continued northwest to Pergamum. From Laodicea, one could also travel southeast to Attalia, a port on the Mediterranean Sea.
It is probable that Epaphras was instrumental in establishing the church at Laodicea, and Paul writes that his letter to the church at Colossae (only 8 mi. [13 km.] distant) should be read by the believers at Laodicea (Col 2:1). Paul also wrote a letter to the church at Laodicea (Col 4:16). This letter has not been discovered, although many scholars speculate that the book called “Ephesians” was originally addressed to the church at Laodicea.
Laodicea is the last of the seven churches addressed in the book of Revelation (1:11; 3:14–22). In the letter there may be a number of allusions to the local setting of Laodicea: the lukewarm water, riches, gold, white garments, and eye salve!
A convenient source for information on Laodicea is, the unfortunately now out of print, Yamauchi, E. The Archaeology of the New Testament Cities in Western Asia Minor. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1980.