The letter to the Laodiceans clearly ends with an allusion to teh Song of Songs. Jesus knocks and seeks entry to the Bridal chamber of the church, where he will sup with His Bride, sup on His Bride (Revelation 3:20). As almost everyone notices, that reaches back to Song of Songs 5:1, the Bridegroom’s entry into the chamber, the mutual feast, and the knocking that immediately follows.
But the Song is already in view earlier in the message to Laodicea. What Jesus wants from that church is hot food or cold food, let us say spicy food and soothing drinks. What he does not want is food warmed over on a hot plate. He wants a love that burns with the flame of Yah, love strong as death. When He comes to feast on the Laodicean Bride, He finds the food distasteful, and spits it out. That makes sense of Revelation 3:16: Why is the church in the mouth of Jesus? Yes, Jesus is the land spewing out inhabitants; but Jesus is also the Bridegroom who cannot eat a bride who produces only bitter grapes and vinegar.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
