Letter to the Church at Philadelphia

Revelation 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

The key of David means that a king would rule who was a descendent of King David as promised to David when he lived. The keys of hell and death were held by Jesus Christ who fulfilled all things and was of the linage of David thus eligible to ascend the throne of David. The rock and foundation of the church is none other than Jesus Christ. Peter and the apostles built upon that foundation. Peter was not the rock upon which the church was built but Jesus Himself was. Peter was equal to all the other apostles. He was precious and wonderful but He was not any higher than any other believer and was not the first Pope. Actually there is not any proof that Peter was even in Rome, that is only tradition. Upon the foundation of the truth that Peter spoke by acknowledging Jesus Christ as the Christ is what the church is built upon, not on Peter. 

Those that hold the church age view see this church as about 1750 to 1925 in which there was many revivals and great awakenings. John Wesley's revivals, DL Moody, Charles Spurgeon and many other preached during this period. Also the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in North Carolina, Tennessee and Azusa Street California occurred. The holiness movement started when people started to repent and seek and deeper walk with God during this period.

Those that hold the church age view, see this period as beginning with John Wesley’s holiness movement.  The word Philadelphia means the church of brotherly love or love for the elder brother, the elder brother refers to Jesus Christ. They loved the Lord as opposed to the Ephesus Church that was losing their love for the Lord.

This church was a literal church in Asia Minor in John's day but it also could represent many since then and now who live the same and have the same testimony of faithfulness as they had. According to church history we don't see a Philadelphia type of church after the apostolic age until after the reformation but knowing God, I believe they existed somewhere. Most of the churches we hear about were apostate and without the word of God during the Middle ages and beyond. Yet God always has a remnant. There was a Philadelphia church somewhere at all times, I am sure of it.

Notice the above verse describes Jesus as holy and true.  Holiness and truth must also be in us as His followers.  If we represent Him who is holy and true, we are to be holy and have the truth also. 

Ephesians 5:27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Hebrews 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

 

The Greeks were highly educated people.  Their false gods were statues of men or women rather than animals like other cultures.  They worshipped themselves and being great because of their high knowledge and education. Philadelphia was a missionary center.  They cared more about souls and the message of the gospel rather than money in contrast to the Laodicea church that cared more for prophet.

Here is a quote I found by a brother in Christ on the Internet:

“This is the main difference between Laodicea and Philadelphia.  If you are a Laodicean pastor you realize if you appeal to the highest level of spirituality in your church (self sacrifice) you will not get as much money as you would if you appealed to the lowest level of spirituality (greed).”

Rev 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

I believe that Open Door is the promise of being taken out of the world just before the tribulation period as I will discuss in detail later.

They had a little strength, they kept the word and did not deny His name. I believe this is a holiness church. 

“ Once you have been saved and delivered from the powers of sin you have a responsibility to use that liberty and walk in a life of holiness.”

If the church age theory is true, this is the church period that had the whole bible so we see they had the whole truth of God’s word.  Jesus describes Himself as being “He that is True.”  They had the truth.

The King James bible was taken in most part from the work of William Tyndale who translated the bible into English and paid for it with his own life. It is the one translation that came to us by the suffering and blood of many who sacrificed their own lives to give us this translations as opposed to many modern translations that are mostly for profit. Now for the first time laymen could read and understand the bible.

The devil does not like this.  He wants us to return to the days when we look to a man for our religion or our faith. He does not want us to worship God on our own.  This is why I do not trust in hierarchy, titles and lording over the flock. When the clergy starts dressing different than the laity, it creeps me out.

This city was also called the city of the open door.  Christ has the power over our salvation and over all the churches. He can shut and no man opens or He can open and no man can shut it. He has the key to the kingdom of heaven, not any man.

These kept the word.  In other words they kept sound doctrine and held fast to the truth. When we get into false doctrine and error, we actually deny His name because He is holy and He is true.  If we refuse to walk in holiness, we actually are separating ourselves from Him because He is holy.

Perhaps they were a little in strength because they were small in number as compared to larger churches or assemblies. Perhaps they had been persecuted to the point that they were weak in strength but still faithful in all things pertaining to the truth. I personally believe they were strong in the Lord but humble and of small number.

Keeping the word is important today as well as then. This is the key to truth and faithfulness. The word was laid down during the dark ages and not picked back up again until the Protestant Reformation. There is a trend today toward unity and some have laid aside the sound doctrine of the word to bring that about. This would definitely be a false unity and not one that is sanctioned by the spirit of God. How can the Holy Spirit bless something that denies the authority of God's word? Without the word of God, we wouldn't even know about Jesus Christ the author of our eternal salvation. If we lay aside the word and the sound doctrine the word teaches, we are asking to be deceived as Jesus warned us about in the gospels.

Denying His name could be denying His authority, denying His right to instruct us in the way we should live, denying His word, commandments and teachings or denying He is the Son of God or the name by which we can be saved.

Matthew 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Many also come in the name of Christ, saying I am of Christ and deceive many. They may not say they are actually the person of Jesus Christ but if they stand in the way and try to be the sole mediator between or in place of Christ, they are deceivers. We have seen them in this past century. Jim Jones, Joseph Smith, Rev Moon and others. Jesus is the only mediator between God and man. Not the pope, not Mary, not any departed saint, not a priest, not a prophet and not a pastor. Pastors are to lead us to Christ, teach us the word and then step aside and encourage us to enjoy our own personal relationship and fellowship in Jesus Christ.  They are never to be a mediator between us and God. This may have been before Christ but not after Christ came.  That is why He came.  He came that all of us who repent and believe in Him can know Him ourselves and be able to pray straight to the Father without any other mediator.  Christ was the bridge or the way to God.  

Rev 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

Today it would be those who claim to be Christian and are really not.  Remember in the days of John most Christians were Jews.

Leaving this time in history the same thought could apply to any church leaders who depart from the word of God, claim to be of God but draw followers after themselves instead of Jesus Christ. They use only parts of scripture taken out of context and substitute the doctrines and commandments of man. The Roman church and the papacy have done this for centuries. The bible was kept from the common people.

Joseph Smith of the Mormons or Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints also departed from the scriptures and substituted his own doctrine that he claims to have come to him by revelation. I'm reminded of the words of the beloved apostle Paul:

Galatians 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

I don't' care if we see a vision from an angel; if salvation is not taught that Jesus Christ alone is the way to God and eternal life, then it is false. Any church or organization that claims you must be a member of, baptized into or be part of their church, organization or group in order to be saved and enter eternal life is teaching another gospel. Jesus is the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but by Him.

Churches are places to have fellowship in the Lord, study the word, and preach the gospel. They are not the way of salvation. They may point the way to Jesus but they cannot save apart from Jesus. No church is exclusive and the only one. God desires all to be saved. Why would He limit Himself to only one particular group? He gave Jesus and Jesus is the only way. Jesus died for sins and Jesus ushered in the perfect way of salvation. Through Jesus we are "born again" by the Spirit of God. The church can't cause one to be born again. The spirit of God given by Jesus Christ is the only one that can cause us to be born again and receive eternal life.

Jesus will let all the apostate churches and unbelievers from all over the world know that this church is commended.  To the world they are the scum but to Christ they are favored.  Hold onto the word folks and you will not go wrong.  Hold fast to that which is true and holy. What the world accepts, God does not necessarily accept. 

Luke 16:15  And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

I believe this to be the seven year tribulation that is to come just before the return of Jesus Christ.  Some believe this to be that they were kept through the awful persecutions that were to come upon the earth caused by the Roman Empire.

Many scholars believe that this refers to the great tribulation showing us that some will escape the tribulation by way of the rapture.

Others deny this saying that there is tribulation now and many are suffering at this present time persecutions for the cause of Christ. However, the bible says that all that live godly will suffer persecution of some kind so I don't believe the end-time seven year tribulation is the same as persecution that comes as a result of the gospel. It seems to be that this one is more severe and is a time that will trouble the whole earth, especially the Middle East and Jerusalem. Also the tribulation in Revelations is not persecution only but the wrath of God being poured out on those that reject Jesus Christ and those that persecute believers.  We may not escape persecution but true believers will not suffer the wrath of God.

Here is some scriptures the support the Pre-tribulation rapture theory on a separate sheet.

Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Here Jesus is speaking of the tribulation of Matthew 24 and 25 and Luke 21: 1-19.  There is a way of escape or He would not have asked them to pray for a way of escape.

Jesus was describing the days coming when the earth will experience great trouble just before the Second Coming of the Lord. We are to pray to escape all these things and stand before Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
1Th 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
1Th 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

1 Thessalonians 3:13
To the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

We see that at the Second coming of Christ, His saints are already with Him indicating that they went to be with Him before His second coming to the earth.

The day of the Lord is a day of judgment. It is a time to fear. Paul encourages us to not walk in darkness so that day does not overtake us. We are to be spiritually ready.

1Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one with these words.

2Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Why would any Christian who is spiritually ready to meet the Lord, fear His coming.  It wasn’t His coming they feared but the day of the Lord or the day of judgment.

2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

The day of judgment will not come until there is a great falling away from the truth so that God is justified to bring in His judgment.

2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Something is hindering the coming of the anti-christ and the spirit of lawlessness.

There are three hinderers of lawlessness.  The government, the Holy Spirit and the godly church. We know there will be some type of government.  The Holy Spirit can’t leave or else no one could be saved during the tribulation.  Many bible teachers believe the He who is taken away is the Holy Spirit but I don’t see how that is possible because we will read later about many tribulation saints who were saved during the tribulation, mostly Jews at that time.  It has to be the church that is taken away.  With that I say, the church that is ready and without spot or wrinkle. 

Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

When Jesus returns to set up His kingdom, His saints will be with Him.  One might ask, I thought the church was the bride of Christ and not referred to as a He.  The church is actually the body of Christ and can be referred to as a He.

Eph 1:22  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23  Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.

So in this sense the church can be referred to by the pronoun, He.  The Philadelphia church will be one that preaches about the coming of the Lord and strive to prepare all of us for that coming.  Churches that love this present world will try to establish the Lord’s kingdom here by trying to unite with the state and make everyone Christians thinking that the Lord delays His coming and it is their job to get everyone in the church by any way possible and not by being born again by God’s spirit.  The use of force is common among those that do not believe in the literal return of Jesus Christ.

It appears that when Jesus returns, the saints who have died previously will be with Him.  Some believe these rose from the dead seven years prior to the Tribulation and that the ones returning are those.  Also the church is not mentioned in the judgment section of the book of Revelation. There are martyred saints but the church itself is not mentioned as in the first three chapters.

We can decide for ourselves whether there is to be a rapture or not by studying the scriptures but let us not accuse one other. The Lord said that no man knows the day and the hour. I've heard those that do not teach the rapture accuse those that believe in it as being ones who want to escape trouble and live the easy life. That is not so. As one who has been raised among people of that persuasion, that is not their reasons for believing in the rapture.

Actually no matter which way it turns out to be, we need to be spiritually ready. If we have to go through tribulation, we will need to be strong spiritually and not be asleep. If we are asleep spiritually, we would not be ready for the rapture also. I will point out however, that Jesus promised this Philadelphia church that they would escape the hour of temptation which will try them that dwell upon the earth so it does seem as if the church that is spiritually ready at the coming of Jesus will escape the great tribulation.

Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Hold onto that which the scripture teaches and that which has brought us salvation. Don't be influenced by men or women who try to draw followers after themselves even performing miracles, claiming revelations or teach false doctrine.

Pray for discernment. Following man is a form of idolatry. Love your pastors but do not idolize them. Follow Christ and adhere to the word of God so that we are not deceived. All prophecy, revelations and visions are not false, but some are. We are to try the spirits and search the scriptures daily. True prophecy will never contradict the already written word of God.

Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Rev 3:13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Let us hear what God says to the churches. Let us be among the overcomers and seek the Lord with all our hearts.
God and even the angels are for us, not against us.

Mat 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The rapture of the church is a great mystery that most do not see.  It was revealed to Paul.  As long as a faithful church exists on the earth it would hinder the power of the wicked one to deceive.  So the church has to be gone or else all the church goes deep into apostasy and there is no one to take away.  However, we know there will be a few because the dead shall rise first and then those that are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord. 

If the rapture occurs in the Middle of the tribulation then, we can assume no one was ready at the beginning and we have all gone into apostasy.  If the rapture does not occur until the end, then the same could be true.

Since the mid-trib theory has some merit, I will discuss their views.  There will be a catching away of the man-child and the two witnesses in the middle of the tribulation just before the wrath of God is poured out.  This is where the mid tribers get the mid trib rapture theory.  They also use the words of the apostle Paul about the last trump and assume that the angel that blows the seventh trumpet is the same trumpet Paul mentions. 

At the rapture there will be a trumpet of God sounding to take up in the twinkling of an eye all those that are spiritually ready at that time.  The seventh trumpet of the angel is to herald the events which follow after that particular trumpet sounds. One trumpet is a blessing and the other a sound of judgment. 

We will speak more of this when we get to chapter 4.  I will give place to the other two theories to be fair. 

Remember the key to understanding Revelation.

Rev 1:19  Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

 

The things John had seen was the vision of Christ.  The things He was seeing was the seven churches. The things which is to come later from chapter 4 on to the end of Revelation is the things seen after the churches.

 

A good church will hinder evil.  Only an apostate church will not hinder the anti-christ from coming. 

 

The reason I’m taking so much time talking of the seven churches and explaining them one by one is because I don’t think we are ready for either the rapture or any tribulation no matter which theory proves to be the truth. 

 

I want us to be ready and be as this church of Philadelphia.

 

Qualifications of the rapture is this:

 

1. Be Christ’s  1 Corinthians 15:23, Galatians 5:24
2. Love His Appearing 2 Timothy 4:8
3. Be blessed and holy, Rev 20: 4-6
4. He that looks for Him  Hebrews 9:28
5. Be in the way, the truth, and the life, John 14: 1-6
6. Be“worthy Luke 21: 34-36
7. Be in the “body of Christ”  Ephesians 5:27, 1 Corinthians 12:13
8. Purify himself, even as he is pure, 1 John 3:2,3 2 Corinthians 7:1, Galatians 5: 16-24 Hebrews 12:14
9. Be without spot or wrinkle… and without blemish.  Ephesians 5:27