Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Rev 3:14 And unto 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;
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Now the appeal, in the 20th verse, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." This text, as you know, has been taken in different ways. You will find individuals teaching classes on evangelism who will say that this is an evangelistic text. That is, it has to do with salvation, initial salvation. "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him." That figure is often used in evangelistic classes or evangelistic meetings, to open the door of your heart, and our Lord will come in. And you will hear said of people, "He has opened his heart, and the Lord came in." Or he will describe his salvation as, "I opened my heart and the Lord came in." Well, in one sense the truth may be accordingly, but it's questionable that that is the meaning. He's talking about individuals who are lukewarm, so the suggestion is that they are professing Christians already, and thus I have serious questions as to whether that's the proper interpretation of this verse, although the experience may be a genuine experience and understood in that way by some individuals. Perhaps it is a reference to return to fellowship with the Lord. "I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." The Greeks' customs of eating and drinking are very interesting. Breakfast or akratisma was the term they used, was usually a piece of bread, perhaps dipped in a bit of wine, and that's all, and then in the middle of the day, the workers which were the general class, they would eat wherever they were, frequently in the city square. And they would obtain whatever they could, as someone has put it, a kind of a scratch meal, whatever you could have at that time, you had. And that was called an ariston.
But then the deipnon was the meal at the end of the day, and that was the main meal of the day, and the family and the friends gathered at that time around tables, and there they supped the principal meal, and that term is the term that is found in its root, verbal form here. "Open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him." That is, I will have deipnon with him. I will eat dinner with him. In fact, this is the term used for the Lord's Supper. We really should call it the Lord's dinner, because it's the main spiritual meal that we have, the time of gathered fellowship, the Lord's dinner. Supper for us is usually a light meal, so this is the word that means to sup in the sense of dinner. It's that significant. So, it would be an invitation to participation in individual fellowship with the Lord.
But now notice the very next verse. The very next verse says, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." And so it has been suggested that this is not an invitation to salvation, nor an invitation to individual fellowship, although those are legitimate things for which to give an invitation, but this is an invitation to participation in the Messianic kingdom. That is, to come, and of course since the Book of Revelation has a great deal of stress upon the
"Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. (Notice the same kind of figures, of a door, opening a door.) Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants."
So, the figure then is very suggestive of participation in the Messianic kingdom, the Messianic banquet. And I suggest to you that it's likely that that's what our Lord has in mind when he says, "Behold I stand at the door and knock." The second coming is near. "If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." For those who are lukewarm, it is an invitation to fellowship, but it's an invitation to fellowship that finds its consummation in the coming kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He says in verse 21, "To him that overcometh," this is the climactic promise, "Will I grant to sit with me in my throne." Se how suitable this is for the Messianic banquet. "Even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches." The throne of our Lord is the throne of David, upon which he is sitting at the present time. Having won the right to do that by the blood that was shed on
Let me sum up. The curse of lukewarnmess, it's a contradiction of our creed. Campbell Morgan once said, "Men who theorize about the atonement and quarrel over the forms in which they express the truth, and never stretch out the hand to save the lost souls. These are the men who are cursing the church. Men who love to split hairs about election and free will," I wish he hadn't said that. [Laughter] Why are you laughing? [Laughter] "And yet let the millions drift and do nothing to rescue them." Mr. Morgan, of course, was a fervent Arminian, and I regret that he said that. If you are going to split hairs about anything, about election and free will is a good thing to split hairs about, but I agree with him. I think it's true, what he said. It is possible, even to split hairs about truth, and I do believe that there is a doctrine of election.
I do believe there is a doctrine of the bondage of the will, but what he's talking about is true, that we can be so concerned about the fine points of our theology, so important of course, that's what we ought to be, but if we are that, and that alone, and have not given ourselves to the evangelization of the lost, the desire, the endeavor, and the work to see them brought to the Lord, then that's wrong. That's very wrong, and he's right. And thank you the Amen, if that was an Amen. It doesn't have the authority of the Lord's Amen now, but nevertheless I appreciate the sentiment. But he's right.
Sometimes I think of Believers Chapel in the light of these things and I think that perhaps the apostle would say to us something like Galatians 5:7, "You did run well; who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth?: In other words, God has blessed us, God has brought us, God has worked in our midst. He's brought us to a particular place. But let's not stop there, let's go on, advance in the knowledge of the word of God, and in the application of it in our own Christian life. The cure, as our Lord said, for those who have been vaccinated with a mild case of Christianity is the admission of our Lord into our hearts in the fullest sense, and the resultant hot heart from the repentance that should be ours. If one looks at our Lord, you'll realize that he overcame by the heat of his passion for the father. He himself said, "The zeal of my father's house hath," to use the American Standard Version rendering, "shall eat me up." And that is a true Christian attitude too. As someone has said, "We need a great deal more agonizing rather than organizing." And remember that this is the call of the Spirit to the church, the last call.
May God deliver us from lukewarmness. May God deliver us from the kind of attitude of compromise that means that we know truth, but we are not active in the proclamation of it. Our families, our friends, our acquaintances are our mission fields. May God help us to be a true representative of our Lord, and not a traitor to the truth for their good.
If you're here today, and you've never believed in our Lord we point you to him who shed his blood for sinners, and that means that he shed his blood for you. If God has brought you to the place that you recognize your sin and need, his work is for you. Come to him. Receive as a free gift, eternal life. Let's stand for the benediction.
[Prayer] Father, we are so grateful to Thee for these messages that our Lord has given to the churches of the days of the Apostle John, for they are truly messages for us as well. May the Spirit of Laodicea never fall upon Believers Chapel or upon the churches of the Lord upon the face of this earth today. If there should be someone here without Christ, may they turn to him for forgiveness of sins, and we pray in his name. Amen.
John Gill
Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock,.... The phrase of standing at the door may be expressive of the near approach, or sudden coming of Christ to judgment, see Jas 5:9; and his knocking may signify the notice that will be given of it, by some of the immediate forerunners and signs of his coming; which yet will be observed but by a few, such a general sleepiness will have seized all professors of religion; and particularly may intend the midnight cry, which will, in its issue, rouse them all:
if any man hear my voice; in the appearances of things and providences in the world:
and open the door; or show a readiness for the coming of Christ, look and wait for it, and be like such that will receive him with a welcome:
I will come unto him, and sup with him, and he with me; to and among these will Christ appear when he comes in person; and these being like wise virgins, ready, having his grace in their hearts, and his righteousness upon them, he will take them at once into the marriage chamber, and shut the door upon the rest; when they shall enjoy a thousand years communion with him in person here on earth; when the Lamb on the throne will feed them with the fruit of the tree of life, and lead them to fountains of living water, and his tabernacle shall be among them.
Albert Barnes
Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock - Intimating that, though they had erred, the way of repentance and hope was not closed against them. He was still willing to be gracious, though their conduct had been such as to be loathsome, Rev 3:16. To see the real force of this language, we must remember how disgusting and offensive their conduct had been to him. And yet he was willing, notwithstanding this, to receive them to his favor; nay more, he stood and pled with them that he might be received with the hospitality that would be shown to a friend or stranger. The language here is so plain that it scarcely needs explanation. It is taken from an act when we approach a dwelling, and, by a well-understood sign - knocking - announce our presence, and ask for admission. The act of knocking implies two things:
(a) That we desire admittance; and,
(b) That we recognize the right of him who dwells in the house to open the door to us or not, as he shall please.
We would not obtrude upon him; we would not force his door; and if, after we are sure that we are heard, we are not admitted, we turn quietly away. Both of these things are implied here by the language used by the Saviour when he approaches man as represented under the image of knocking at the door: that he desires to be admitted to our friendship; and that he recognizes our freedom in the matter. He does not obtrude himself upon us, nor does he employ force to find admission to the heart. If admitted, he comes and dwells with us; if rejected, he turns quietly away - perhaps to return and knock again, perhaps never to come back. The language used here, also, may be understood as applicable to all persons, and to all the methods by which the Saviour seeks to come into the heart of a sinner. It would properly refer to anything which would announce his presence: his word; his Spirit; the solemn events of his providence; the invitations of his gospel. In these and in other methods he comes to man; and the manner in which these invitations ought to be estimated would be seen by supposing that he came to us personally and solicited our friendship, and proposed to be our Redeemer. It may be added here, that this expression proves that the attempt at reconciliation begins with the Saviour. It is not that the sinner goes out to meet him, or to seek for him; it is that the Saviour presents himself at the door of the heart, as if he were desirous to enjoy the friendship of man. This is in accordance with the uniform language of the New Testament, that “God so loved the world as to give his only-begotten Son”; that “Christ came to seek and to save the lost”; that the Saviour says, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,” etc. Salvation, in the Scriptures, is never represented as originated by man.
If any man hear my voice - Perhaps referring to a custom then prevailing, that he who knocked spake, in order to let it be known who it was. This might be demanded in the night Luk 11:5, or when there was apprehension of danger, and it may have been the custom when John wrote. The language here, in accordance with the uniform usage in the Scriptures (compare Isa 55:1; Joh 7:37; Rev 22:17), is universal, and proves that the invitations of the gospel are made, and are to be made, not to a part only, but fully and freely to all people; for, although this originally had reference to the members of the church in Laodicea, yet the language chosen seems to have been of design so universal (ἐάν τις ean tis) as to be applicable to every human being; and anyone, of any age and in any land, would be authorized to apply this to himself, and, under the protection of this invitation, to come to the Saviour, and to plead this promise as one that fairly included himself. It may be observed further, that this also recognizes the freedom of man. It is submitted to him whether he will hear the voice of the Redeemer or not; and whether he will open the door and admit him or not. He speaks loud enough, and distinctly enough, to be heard, but he does not force the door if it is not voluntarily opened.
And open the door - As one would when a stranger or friend stood and knocked. The meaning here is simply, if anyone will admit me; that is, receive me as a friend. The act of receiving him is as voluntary on our part as it is when we rise and open the door to one who knocks. It may be added:
(1) That this is an easy thing. Nothing is more easy than to open the door when one knocks; and so everywhere in the Scriptures it is represented as an easy thing, if the heart is willing, to secure the salvation of the soul.
(2) This is a reasonable thing.
We invite him who knocks at the door to come in. We always assume, unless there is reason to suspect the contrary, that he applies for peaceful and friendly purposes. We deem it the height of rudeness to let one stand and knock long; or to let him go away with no friendly invitation to enter our dwelling. Yet how different does the sinner treat the Saviour! How long does he suffer him to knock at the door of his heart, with no invitation to enter - no act of common civility such as that with which he would greet even a stranger! And with how much coolness and indifference does he see him turn away - perhaps to come back no more, and with no desire that he ever should return!
I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me - This is an image denoting intimacy and friendship. Supper, with the ancients, was the principal social meal; and the idea here is, that between the Saviour and those who would receive him there would be the intimacy which subsists between those who sit down to a friendly meal together. In all countries and times, to eat together, to break bread together, has been the symbol of friendship, and this the Saviour promises here. The truths, then, which are taught in this verse, are:
(1) That the invitation of the gospel is made to all - “if any man hear my voice”;
(2) That the movement toward reconciliation and friendship is originated by the Saviour - “behold, I stand at the door and knock”;
(3) That there is a recognition of our own free agency in religion - “if any man will hear my voice, and open the door”;
(4) The ease of the terms of salvation, represented by “hearing his voice,” and “opening the door”; and,
(5) The blessedness of thus admitting him, arising from his friendship - “I will sup with him, and he with me.” What friend can man have who would confer so many benefits on him as the Lord Jesus Christ? Who is there that he should so gladly welcome to his bosom?
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