Here is a topic that the Holy Spirit turned my mind to during the meditation on the Word. The reference is Revelation 3:14:

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.”

Three titles are used here, each describing Jesus Christ:

1. The Faithful and True Witness
2. The Beginning of the Creation of God
3. The Amen

These three are attributes that refer to Jesus Christ. The last of the seven church messages is addressed to Laodicea. This city is located in the region of present-day Turkey. It was a wealthy city in ancient times, so it is assumed that the church there was also prosperous — a church with spiritual knowledge of the Word, and cultural advancement in both wealth and wisdom.

The Laodicean church generally believed it had achieved self-sufficiency in all things. That is the spirit reflected in Revelation 3:17:

“You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.”

God’s message to the Laodicean church is:

“Because you are lukewarm, I will spew you out of My mouth. Therefore, repent.”

This reflects the condition of many local congregations in our present era — those who believe they are spiritually rich, who think they lack nothing, yet are unaware of their true condition.

These are communities where:

• There is disagreement and division, rather than unity in the Spirit.
• Saints harbor rivalry, stubbornness, anger, wrath, jealousy, partiality, hatred, and strife (Galatians 5:19–23).
• The pulpit becomes a place of performance, rather than truth and transformation.
• Spiritual teachings are disconnected from reality, love, relationships, and true fellowship.
• Foundational spiritual values are consciously forgotten.
• People are honored based on outward dignity, while truth and righteousness are neglected.

These are not outsiders or unbelievers, but the saints within the church — the saints of the Laodicean church.

Therefore, this time in history can rightly be called the Laodicean period. I remind the reader today is a time when the values and spirituality of Christian life are being neglected, and a mixture of worldly and spiritual lifestyles is becoming common.

There is an urgent need for the church to return to purity of life and separation from the world — to uphold the biblical lifestyle and values, no matter the place or time.

Modern-day Turkey holds significant biblical and Christian heritage. It was in this land that the disciples of Jesus and Saint Mary, the mother of Jesus, lived and ministered. According to tradition, Saint Mary spent her final days in Ephesus.

From this same Ephesus, John the Apostle was exiled to the island of Patmos by Emperor Domitian in AD 94, where he received the vision recorded in the Book of Revelation.

Turkey was once home to vibrant Christian communities. Polycarp the Martyr, bishop of Smyrna and disciple of John the Apostle, was martyred in Izmir, Turkey.

At one time, over 30% of the population in Turkey was Christian. The Hagia Sophia Church, originally built in Istanbul (ancient Constantinople) by Emperor Constantine in the 3rd century during Roman rule, stands as a powerful reminder of the country’s deep Christian roots.

They did not listen to God’s message to the church in Laodicea — a message delivered in strong and solemn language:

“Because you are lukewarm, I will spit you out of My mouth. Therefore, repent.” (Revelation 3:16–17)

In time, Ottoman rule came. The church, which had been in a lukewarm spiritual condition, could not endure. It was overtaken by Muslim expansion, and many generations converted under the pressure and fear of persecution.

This same church had survived fierce persecution under Roman rule in the first century — yet it grew and thrived during that time. However, in a season of blessing and comfort, the church neglected its spirituality, the principles of the Word, and the purity of life. The result was apostasy.

Generations turned to pagan religions and idol worship. Christians embraced a lifestyle mixed with worldliness, luxury, and carnal pleasures. The once-flourishing Christian presence diminished.

In today’s Turkey, where once more than 30% of the population was Christian, now only 0.4% identify even as nominal Christians.

The Lord’s words — “I will spit you out of My mouth” — have come to pass.

One of the most vivid examples is the Hagia Sophia. Once a great Christian church in Istanbul, it has now become a Muslim mosque.

The land of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), which once held seven major churches — Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea — along with many others, is now a country with a predominantly Muslim population and a minimal Christian presence.

The present condition of Turkey is self-evident. What a tragic and sobering picture of a church and a land that once carried the light, now largely darkened by the abandonment of faith.

This is why we can rightly refer to this age as the Laodicean period — a church era that has slowed down, grown cold, and abandoned living faith.

Jesus asked in Luke 18:8: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

This is the very question that must stir our hearts today.

The warning given to the Laodicean church was not a light one. It came with a serious and urgent tone, introduced with three powerful titles of Jesus Christ — meant to remind them who was speaking:

1. The Faithful and True Witness
2. The Beginning of the Creation of God
3. He Who Says “Amen”

These are not casual words. They are heaven’s final appeal to a church drifting away from its first love, and a solemn call to repentance, restoration, and revival.

1. The Faithful and True Witness (Revelation 1:5; 3:14)

This title shows that the mission of redemption entrusted to Jesus Christ in God’s eternal plan was perfectly fulfilled.

As written in Philippians 2:6–11: “Who, being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death—even the death of the cross. Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

In God’s redemptive plan for sinful humanity, Jesus Christ is the Faithful and True Witness who overcame all trials, tribulations, and temptations, even unto death on the cross.

Obedience is the faithfulness spoken of here.

At the final judgment, we will see the victorious and glorious Christ standing with His church. His faithfulness and truth will be openly revealed and proclaimed in judgment — especially against Satan and his followers.

This reminds us that disobedience to God destroys truth, loyalty, and divine purpose.

Therefore, the church must submit to the Word, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ, the One who was perfectly faithful 2. The One Who Says “Amen”

2″Amen”

The Hebrew word “Amen” means truth. It is a word of agreement, used to affirm that what has been said is true. It carries the meanings of unchanging, eternal, and reliable.

When we say “Amen,” we are accepting a truthful statement as certain and trustworthy.

In Revelation 3:15–16, Jesus says:

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spit you out of My mouth.”

This rebuke reflects a condition where there is no change, no passion, no commitment — a denial of the steadfast truth represented by the word Amen.

“Amen” is also one of the attributes of God’s holiness. It means that He never changes what He says. What God has spoken stands forever, and Jesus Christ, who is the Amen, is the living affirmation of God’s eternal truth.

3. The Beginning of God’s Creation

This is my main thought: Why is it said like this? This is a commonly misunderstood statement. Is Jesus Christ the beginning of creation, or is Jesus Christ the first creation of God’s creation? Questions may arise as to whether we have three Gods—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We have only one God, “Yahweh” (YHWH or YHVH), the name of God in the Hebrew Bible. In Him are the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are the two distinct persons in whom God is revealed, based on the theme of God’s dealings with creation and His plan of redemption.

God “YHWH” is the One whose majesty cannot be approached, seen, or fully understood by any creature. Therefore, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit—the self-limitation of God (Greek: Kenosis, meaning “emptying,” Philippians 2:6–7)—are the ways in which God reveals Himself to us in a limited form. He empties Himself. Thus, sinful and estranged humans can know and approach God. God deals with humans through these two persons.

In Revelation 3:14, in the message to the Laodicean church, why does it say, “the beginning of the creation of God”? Isn’t it God who created everything? If Jesus Christ is God, then why is this said?

We are familiar with a group of people known as Jehovah’s Witnesses. I have had the opportunity to discuss with them many times, and this is one of the verses they often bring up.

To understand this phrase, we need to look at the words of the Apostle Paul:

Ephesians 1:4 – “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him.”
Ephesians 3:9 – “To preach and to make all men see what the plan of the mystery is, which has been hidden for ages in God who created all things.”
Colossians 1:15–17 – “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

He is the head of the body, the Church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might have preeminence. In Him, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things—whether on earth or in heaven—making peace by the blood of His cross.

He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.

What does it mean to say that God chose the Church before the foundation of the world? The Bible says that creation began with, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” We understand that the Earth is a planet that was part of that initial creation. Human creation took place after many years or ages.

So, before creating anything, the plan that God had in His heart was the Church of God. God, in His foreknowledge, knew what problems and obstacles would arise before completing this plan and what the solution would be. One of the central aspects of the success of this election plan—the mystery—is Jesus Christ. Mysteries are the unexplained or incomprehensible subjects of God’s eternal plan. (Something difficult or impossible to understand or explain. The mystery of heaven or the mystery of God.)

Therefore, Jesus Christ was a mystery that was in God Himself.

Ephesians 3:9 – “The plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things.”

This hidden plan—the mystery—was that God Himself would become man for the redemption of sinful humans. This was God’s plan and mystery before He created anything. That plan is the beginning of God’s creation. This is the meaning in Revelation 3:14—the mystery about Jesus Christ. The Church and the incarnation of Jesus Christ were planned in God’s unique purpose before the creation of the world. That is why Jesus Christ is referred to as the beginning of God’s creation.

Philippians 2:7, .8 – “Who, being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but took the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.”

John 1:1–3, 14 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. We have seen His glory, the glory as of the only begotten from the Father.”

In the beginning, God—being in the form of God—humbled Himself and was made in the likeness of men. That is, Jesus Christ was incarnated as a man. The essence is that God, who was the Word in the beginning, became flesh and came to earth as Jesus Christ. These are all verses that reveal the divinity of Jesus Christ.

If God directly gives such a serious message to the Laodicean church, we must understand how important it is. God loves the Church and does not want it to fall away. God desires those churches experiencing backsliding and weakness to return to Him.

It does not mean that Jesus Christ is the first creation of God. He is the beginning of everything.

Colossians 1:15 –17 – “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created… all things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”No one can fully describe God. Language has limits, human thought has limits, and ways of expression have limits. The biblical authors, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, did their best to make the Triune nature of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—understandable to the human mind. However, in interpreting the Word, intellectual distortion caused by demonic deception often occurs, which is why many fail to grasp the truth properly.

Jesus Christ is the Mystery—the divine system hidden since time immemorial. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. All things were created through Him and for Him. He is the foundation of all things. In Him, all fullness dwells. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.

That is why, when God gives a serious warning to the Church in Laodicea, He says it this way. The divine plan of Jesus Christ and the Church predates all creation. The beginning of God’s creation is the mystery of Jesus Christ.

I hope this article will be useful to readers.
May God bless everyone.

Pastor M.G. Abraham