Revelation Chapter 3

VERSE 20 “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.”

“Those watching and learning from the admonishing and teaching, who have become zealous and willing to change their courses, are now told what special blessing they will receive.

BEHOLD! This word, behold, is used as a flare —an attention getter —so that we do not miss some of the Bible’s most sublime teachings. The message here is the message the Church has wanted to hear since Jesus left the scene nearly two millennia ago:

BEHOLD THE BRIDEGROOM —in the words of the parable. He has returned; He is PRESENT —secretly, like a thief. He is announcing his presence (Matt. 25:6) although some, even if they hear the knock, will not be ready to respond! (Matt. 25:8-10 and Song of Solomon 5:2-4).

The presence, of course, is announced through the angel to the period. It is announced by the revealing of the meanings of the time prophecies of Daniel and by the understanding of the type of the Jubilee year. Thus, the need for the teachings of Verse 19. Zealous study and prayerful thought must be given in order to hear the knock.

There are two Ifs’: (1) IF we hear, and (2) IF we open. The announcement is not denominational; IT IS AN INDIVIDUAL MATTER.

You are not going to receive the declaration of the Lord’s presence, through your particular church or denomination, the church’s and the ministers who serve them are blind to this truth. They still believe as did those who were disappointed during the Miller movement in the fleshly or visible return of our Lord, not having grasped the fact that our Lord having been highly exalted to the divine nature is now “the express image of the Father’s person” of whom it is clearly stated “no man has seen NOR CAN SEE (Heb 1:3; 1 Tim 6:16)   — for “God is a Spirit,” (spiritual being) and “a spirit hath not flesh and bones.” As you cannot see an angel though present, unseen, without a miracle, why then is it so hard for some to imagine Jesus present, yet unseen?

As was true in respects to the nominal fleshly house (the Jewish nation), so too in regards to the nominal spiritual house (the professing church of today), both stumbled over the same things, a failure to understand the object and the MANNER of our Lord’s appearing, thus both houses have failed in the “Day of their Visitation”, the day of his presence.

It is the individual’s responsibility to respond.

We hear the knock —OH! but THAT’S not what is says! “If anyone hears MY VOICE.” The “voice” is probably the announcement made of the presence by the seventh angel. Jesus promised that his second advent would be announced in this fashion: Matt. 24:30, 45-47.

So, IF we hear the VOICE (the announcement of the Lord’s presence by the Seventh Angel), and IF we OPEN —if we allow the message to cause us to accept the importance of the knock and not to delay our response as the foolish virgin of Song of Solomon 5:2-4, THEN he will come in to us and we will eat together the food, the meat in due season (Matt. 24:45.)

The word “DINE” (NAS) here is an important one. This is the word for the evening meal —the LAST meal of the age. At the opening of the age (John 21:12-15), Jesus shared BREAKFAST (NAS) —the FIRST meal of the age —with his disciples. So, among other blessings, we are to understand that the Laodicean Church (the Lord’s true followers) will have an abundant, complete, satisfying meal of truth, sufficient to take it to the end of its day.” (New Albany Notes on Revelation)

Due to the importance of this particular verse and all that it details we will be taking a look at several different views from the brethren.

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