Part 3 (2/2)
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 wors.h.i.+p before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
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.
11. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
12. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my G.o.d, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my G.o.d, and the name of the city of my G.o.d, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my G.o.d, and I will write upon him my new name.
13. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Philadelphia was once a large and powerful city, and it continued thus until later times. Prior to the time the Revelation was written, it had suffered severely from repeated earthquakes, which caused it to be almost deserted by its inhabitants. Subsequently, however, it recovered and became a prosperous, influential city.
The character Christ a.s.sumes toward this church is that of the Holy and True--one who will justly reward them for their patience and perseverance--and by virtue of his possessing the key of David (a symbol of power and authority), he is able to place before them an open door which no man can shut.
The character of this church is wholly unlike that of the preceding. In that, there was nothing to commend, but much to condemn; whereas to this, all is admonition, encouragement, and promise, because they had ”kept the word of his patience” and had not denied his name. Christ knew their works and that they were worthy of approval. They still possessed ”a little strength” and had not denied his name.
Christ, who always upholds and rewards his faithful followers, although they be few in number and const.i.tute the despised of earth, was not unrighteous that he should overlook this humble congregation of devoted disciples that had kept his word, but he made them a number of special promises _because_ of their faith and perseverance. The first was the a.s.surance that he had set before them an open door which no man could shut. A door is a means either of entrance or of escape, and signifies that G.o.d was going to open before them a greater field of enlargement and success, or else would furnish them a sure means of escape and protection from their cruel and relentless persecutors. It will be remembered that the church of Smyrna also received nothing but commendation and encouragement; but there was no promise of an open door to them. On the contrary, they were told that they should be tried, cast into prison, and suffer tribulation ten days. They were comforted, however, with a certain a.s.surance of future reward and a crown of everlasting life. But before the church of Philadelphia there was opened a scene of greater prosperity, deliverance from enemies, greater enlargement, and the glorious prospect of seeing mult.i.tudes of souls brought under the influence of the saving gospel of Christ.
The next promise was that of deliverance from opposing Jews, who were to be humbled before them. This refers, doubtless, to persons who had a mere profession of Christianity and who were not recognized by the congregation--the same as the blaspheming Jews of Smyrna. The faithfulness of G.o.d's elect would eventually be the means of bringing them back to an experience of salvation, so that they would wors.h.i.+p in the midst of the church again.
Another promise to this congregation was, ”I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world.” Some dreadful calamity is here predicted, during which the power of G.o.d would be mercifully manifested in granting this church a special preservation.
Some suppose it to have reference to a great general persecution throughout the Roman empire, during which the Christians of Philadelphia would be spared. This may have been the fact; but whether it was or not, we have no means of information. When we come to consider the symbols of chapter 9, in which the delusive error of Mohammedanism is set forth, we will see what a period of sore trial this delusion was to the Eastern churches. It is also a fact that, in the midst of this abounding heresy, the church of Philadelphia was preserved as was no other church of Asia.
When the followers of Mohammed were sweeping like a whirlwind over the Eastern empire, ravaging everything before them, Philadelphia remained an independent Christian city, when _all the other_ cities of Asia Minor were under the power of the Saracen sword. It held out against the Ottoman power until the year 1390 A.D., when it surrendered to Sultan Bayazid's mixed army of Ottoman Turks and Byzantine Christians (?). This was six years after the death of Wickliffe, ”the morning star of the reformation,” who opposed the corruptions of the Papacy, gave the world the first English translation of the Bible, and sowed the seeds that soon grew and produced a Huss, a Jerome, and a Luther. So G.o.d preserved the Christians of Philadelphia in the East until he began raising up others to herald his truth in the West, whose labors soon ripened into the glorious Reformation of the Sixteenth Century.
His final promise to the overcomer is that he shall be made a pillar in the temple of G.o.d, and receive the name of G.o.d, of Christ, and of the New Jerusalem, or city of G.o.d. In some manner the Christian is labelled with the name of G.o.d, whose property he is; with the name of Christ, by whom he was purchased; and with the name of the New Jerusalem, or city of G.o.d, his inheritance and eternal abiding-place; and he is made a pillar in the temple of G.o.d. By turning to Heb. 12:22, 23, we find that the general a.s.sembly and church of G.o.d in this dispensation const.i.tutes, in one important sense, the New Jerusalem, or city of G.o.d, in which the overcomers abide. ”But ye _are come_ unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living G.o.d, the heavenly Jerusalem ... to the general a.s.sembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven.” The church is also styled the house or temple of G.o.d, composed of people out of all nations who ”are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto _an holy temple_ in the Lord ... for an habitation of G.o.d through the Spirit.” Eph. 2:20-22. See also 1 Cor. 3:17; 1 Pet. 2:5; 1 Tim. 3:15.
To be a pillar in this temple of G.o.d means to occupy a conspicuous or useful position in supporting the truth, examples of which are to be found in such characters as ”James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars” in the church in apostolic times. Gal. 2:9. In the last prayer of Christ to the Father, he says concerning his disciples, ”While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name” (John 17:12); and since the church promised by Christ (Mat. 16:18) has been established, we continually bear the name of the Father, its t.i.tle being the church or city of G.o.d. We also bear the new name of Christ, as explained in chapter 2:17, and we meet together and wors.h.i.+p in that name (Mat.
18:20), obeying the exhortation of the apostle Paul--”Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all _in the name of the Lord Jesus_, giving thanks to G.o.d and the Father by him.” Col. 3:17. A better understanding of the manner in which we receive the name of G.o.d and of his city will be obtained when we come to the consideration of the followers of a false, degenerate church represented as receiving the ”mark of the beast,” by which they are designated.
To inquire further into the history of this church, Philadelphia still remains with a population of about fifteen thousand. It contains a number of places of public wors.h.i.+p, a resident (Greek) archbishop, and several inferior clergy. Mr. Keith, in his ”Evidence of Prophecy,”
speaks of the then presiding bishop, and says that he acknowledges ”the Bible as the only foundation of all religious belief” and admits that ”abuses have entered into the church, which former ages might endure, but the present must put down.” It is also a singular coincidence that the modern Turkish name of the city, Ala-Shehr, signifies ”city of G.o.d.”
This description of the church of Philadelphia I will bring to a close by adding the following extract from Gibbon, recorded in his noted history ent.i.tled ”The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.” It is of especial value since the writer, being an avowed infidel, can not be convicted of misconstruing historical facts in order to favor Christianity.
”The captivity or ruin of the seven churches of Asia was consummated [by the Ottomans] A.D. 1312, and the barbarous lords of Ionia and Lydia still trample on the monuments of cla.s.sic and Christian antiquity. In the loss of Ephesus the Christians deplore the fall of the first candle-stick of the Revelation. The desolation is complete; and the temple of Diana and the church of Mary will equally elude the search of the curious traveler. The circus and three stately theatres of Laodicea are now peopled with wolves and foxes. Sardis is reduced to a miserable village. The G.o.d of Mohammed without a rival is invoked in the mosques of Thyatira and Pergamus; and the populousness of Smyrna is supported by the foreign trade of the Franks and Armenians. _Philadelphia alone_ has been saved by prophecy or courage. At a distance from the sea, forgotten by the emperors, encompa.s.sed on all sides by the Turks, her valiant sons defended their religion and freedom above fourscore years, and at length capitulated with the proudest of the Ottomans. Among the Greek colonies of Asia, Philadelphia is still erect--a column in a scene of ruins--a pleasing example that the path of honor and safety may sometimes be the same.” Vol. VI., p. 229.
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 G.o.d;
15. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.
19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
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