Why Have You Come?

In His address to His churches, Jesus speaks about His imminent coming.

Revelation 2:5: "...I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent."

Revelation 2:16: "Repent; otherwise, I will come to you soon and fight against them with the sword of My mouth."

Revelation 2:25: "Only hold fast what you have until I come."

Revelation 3:3: "...If you will not watch, I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you."

Revelation 3:11: "Behold, I am coming soon; hold fast what you have, so that no one may take your crown."

Christ assures us that He will come. And we know that this event will be magnificent and grand. It is called the "Second Coming of Christ".

But God has a plan that must be accomplished before this great event. In Revelation 3:20, we read: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."

From this verse, one can understand that Jesus has already come, and all His previous promises about this have been fulfilled in this unusual manifestation of Himself to His people.

"Behold, I stand" means that He is already here, nearby, has come and desires to enter.

In this statement of Christ, there is something very important that everyone should understand. If this verse is taken out of context, this address applies to all Christians of all ages. And through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, something similar was possible. But in the light of the last time, this address should be considered in the context of the message to Laodicea.

We read that the statement about the Lord's visit is written immediately after rebuke of a lukewarm state, advice to buy Heavenly goods, and a call to be diligent and repent. This means that those who listened to the previous messages, studied them, and accepted them into their lives will receive a special visit. But the door before which Jesus stands is opened only by me, and only my ears should hear His voice.

If I stand up, go to the door of my apartment, open it, and say that those standing outside should come in, no one will enter because no one is there. But if I hear a knock at the door and a voice from outside, I understand that guests have arrived, and by the voice, I even guess who has come.

It should be understood that the knock and voice of Christ are heard by everyone before whose door He decides to stop. But I think that people who have not bought anything from the offered goods risk never hearing this knock at the door. The door can be kept always open and even written on to let the Lord enter, but there is a chance that this will not happen.

Do not confuse this with conversion from the world and liberation from the power of sin. Here the Lord goes ahead and saves a lost soul. He accepts into His arms all who wish. But when I am ready for closer relationships and receive a special invitation to enter into them but ignore these counsels, I thereby make it clear that I do not yet want to develop anything, that I do not need it. And why should anyone come?

If a man gives his beloved an engagement ring and proposes that she become his wife, and receives a refusal or sees indifference in the bride's behavior, he will not violate her freedom and will most likely stop bothering her with his visits. If the proposal to create a family was superficial or in the form of a subtle hint, it might not have been understood. But when it sounds very clearly and distinctly, any refusal is a clear "no".

For many years, I drove past a store and did not even know what they were selling. But one day I decided to go in and see what was offered. I thoroughly examined all the goods, thinking about how much I needed them. The sellers watched me and did not interfere with my investigation. But when I thanked them for my visit and left empty-handed, they completely lost interest in me and did not even try to find out my phone number to make me a special discount offer. I left forever but already knowing what they sell. What if it might come in handy?

We were warned that having oil for the lamp would be vitally important before the final events. We were shown where it is sold. But no one is forcing it on us. And if I do not want to buy something, the Seller does not run after me, lowering the price.

For whom did Jesus come? And what does He want? I know that all God's prophecies have a deep meaning and carry special blessings for those to whom they are spoken, who believe in them and accept them. If Jesus considered it necessary to do something specifically for me, offering something important and valuable, and then personally knocks at my door, it is important to thoroughly study this offer and make a decision.

God knows in advance what is necessary in the dark time of history and how I can survive the coming events. He has prepared an exit and offers what will help me stand and win. And the victor is given the assurance that he will sit on the throne next to Christ. But how can one win without a weapon or without knowing how to use it, and without understanding what kind of battle awaits?

If someone comes at me with swords and spears, I will look for protection and weapons against such an attack. A shield and sword will help me withstand. If someone decides to use chemical weapons, a shield will not help; in this case, a gas mask is needed. And against a nuclear attack, even a gas mask is defenseless; an underground shelter and an antimissile system are necessary. But all this is powerless against the information war between my right and left ear.

By advising me to buy His goods, Jesus does not leave me in ignorance about their contents. He begins to reveal both their composition and their significance for the final battle. My interest and positive response give Him reason to personally come to me and initiate me into the details of His goods.

When I once bought a new car, before taking it, they very detailed explained the functions of each button and deciphered the readings of all icons on the control panel, gave me a book with operating instructions, checked my driving license, and then handed me the keys. The car had a warranty, and at any time I could seek free help on any issues.

The Faithful Witness comes to those who acquire what is offered to establish His buyers in the fact that they have chosen a very valuable product. He desires to teach them how to live with it and fight.

The plan of the message to Laodicea is not fully revealed to us. But the very fact of our interest in this topic gives God the opportunity to initiate us into the depths of the prophecies under consideration.

We stand before the most important purchase that can exist. No previous period of history was offered such wealth of God's grace as to us. And the clearer I understand the meaning of Heavenly goods, the more comprehensible the essence of the final battle becomes.

To go to war with love and faith and be a victor. This suggests that the final battle will have a spiritual character, in which my human self will not withstand, but the Divine will stand and win.

When people looked at the cross and the crucified Savior, they saw the collapse of all their plans and complete defeat. But this was the most certain victory over the forces of evil.

Jesus considers the final events and battles so important and cruel that He decides to come Himself. Why has He come? What will I answer?

Questions for Reflection on this Chapter

1. Please read Revelation 3:18-20; Luke 18:8; Daniel 12:10; Song of Solomon 2:8-10; Isaiah 3:13; 26:20-21; 46:10; James 5:9; Revelation 14:1; Psalm 23:7-10; Proverbs 8:32-36; Ezekiel 33:31-32; Micah 7:4; Malachi 1:10; Matthew 24:33; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; John 10:2-5; 16:16 in light of this chapter.

2. What did you understand from this chapter?

3. How do you understand the expression: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock..."?

4. Why did the Lord decide to come to the Laodicean people personally?

5. Does the verse from Revelation 3:20 warn that God has a very important plan for us?

6. What do you think Jesus came for?

7. Does the Lord expect any movements and decisions from me, advising me to buy something from Him?

8. Have you noticed the sequence from verse 18 to 20?

9. Will the one who listens to the Lord's advice, is zealous, and opens his door be a victor?

10. What does it mean to keep the door closed?

11. Should one open one's door when no one is knocking?

12. Who will enter me if I keep my door always and for everyone open?

13. If the Lord Himself has decided to come to me personally, is it worth paying attention to this?

14. Will God pour out His Spirit on those who have accepted Jesus' advice and opened the door to Him?

15. If I do not understand the symbols of the message to Laodicea, should I study them? Is this really so important for Salvation?