Christ’s Letter to You!
Suppose
you received a special-delivery letter from Christ Himself containing
instruction and encouragement especially for you today. Incredible?Well, you HAVE received just such a letter!
It’s true! We are incredibly blessed to have received a special letter from Christ to all of us in God’s Church at this time.
It
is a personalized message, announcing a fabulous opportunity, making
four inspiring promises and including a stern admonition. And this
letter is entirely positive, containing no words of criticism.
This letter, to the Philadelphia era of God’s Church, is found in Revelation 3:7-13.
It may be only seven verses long, but it is packed with meaning for all of us.
Know the Author
To
fully appreciate this letter, you must first get acquainted with its
Author, who describes Himself as He is today in Revelation 1:10-20.
Read this dazzling description of the living Jesus Christ before you
attempt to drink in of His message.
Understand the mystery of
the seven stars and the golden candlesticks, which represent the seven
eras of God’s Church to exist, in succession, from the first century
until Christ’s Second Coming (verse 20). Note that Christ identifies
Himself from the beginning as being “in the midst of the seven
candlesticks” (verse 13), His Church through the centuries.
Compare
Matthew 16:18 and 28:20. Christ promised to build His true Church and
to be with it to the end of the age. And Christ is with us today,
guiding our activities and helping and inspiring us to endure until the
end.
When you have thoroughly familiarized yourself with the
divine Author of the letters to the seven church eras, you are ready to
study the letter God wrote to us — to the Philadelphia era.
Each
letter begins with a salutation in which Jesus Christ, the living Head
of God’s Church through the centuries, identifies Himself to each
church era. He does so each time in a different manner. In the cases of
the first five churches, He does so by referring to parts of the
description you read in Revelation 1 — the stars, the candlesticks, the
sword.
But now notice: The salutation of the letter to the church of
Philadelphia is altogether different. Entirely new concepts are
introduced. This letter to the Philadelphia era is different from the
others from the outset, and the more familiar you become with it, the
more you will realize how different it is in every respect.
The key and the door
The
first verse of our letter (Rev. 3:7) introduces two hitherto
unmentioned concepts, the key of David and the open and closed door.
What are these items, and why do they suddenly appear here in the
letter to the sixth era? Now we begin to see the unique message to our
Church today.
You can’t be in God’s Church today without knowing
something of the key of David. Luke 1:32-33 is a good place to begin to
unlock this vital truth. Luke shows that God the Father is going to
give to this same Jesus Christ, about whom we have been reading, “the
throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob
for ever.”
We in God’s Church know what that means. We know that
the throne of David has continued to our day, and that Christ is coming
to sit on that very throne and rule over the house of Israel. We also
know the modern identity of Israel, which is one of the great keys to
unlocking the meaning of Bible prophecy. For more information, write
for our free booklet, The United States and Britain in Prophecy.
Because
we have this key, we know that most Bible prophecies are written to and
about Israel in the last days of this age. We know God wants a warning
message sent to Israel (Isa. 58:1), and we know who those people are so
we can focus our Work on them.
The Sardis era of God’s Church
would not accept this all-important truth when God used Herbert W.
Armstrong to reveal it. It was, in part, over this key of truth that
Mr. Armstrong was forced to sever his relationship with the Church of
that era.
Isn’t it fascinating, then, that this is the very
first concept Christ uses to identify Himself to our Church? It was one
of the main truths that separated the fifth and sixth eras of God’s
Church, the one that opened Mr. Armstrong’s eyes to the meaning of
Bible prophecy and the Work he was to do.
What about the open
door? The phrase open door indicates an opportunity to preach the
Gospel (I Cor. 16:9, II Cor. 2:12). Christ is indicating here that this
Philadelphia church has an opportunity, as no other era has had, to
preach the Gospel.
What a stark contrast with other eras when it
was often punishable by death to even own a Bible! By comparison we
have had, from the beginning of our era, the printed word coupled with
the use of electronic media to preach the Word with power. In addition,
we have enjoyed, in the United States, freedom of religion, freedom of
the press and the abundant prosperity needed to do the Work (compare
the poverty of at least one earlier era — Revelation 2:9).
This
remarkable and rare combination of circumstances makes possible, at
this time in the history of God’s Church, this special opportunity to
preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to all nations.
Behold the “Beholds”!
Notice
verse 8: “I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open
door.” Behold means “look at, pay attention to, take special notice of.”
Please
do! Compare what Christ says about the works of the other church eras.
Nowhere does He say “Behold” of their works. Christ uses the word
behold four times in our letter.
Yes, our Work today is
something to behold. There has not been anything else like it in the
history of God’s Church through the ages. We should take care not to
become casual with our commission. God Himself tells us to take special
note of and be properly impressed with what He is doing in our time.
“Behold,
I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it” (Rev.
3:8). No human being can stop this Work. Jesus Christ, God’s
all-powerful Son, has promised to keep the door of this Work open until
He is ready to close it, after which no man could possibly open the
door again. Preaching the Gospel as a witness to all nations is
essential to God’s purpose.
But does this imply that the
Philadelphia church will be big and powerful? No. Christ reminds us,
“for thou hast [only] a little strength” (verse 8). With a membership
of less than 100,000 worldwide, we are seen by the world as only a tiny
sect. But our voice and our message are out of proportion to our small
size; God greatly multiplies our power and effectiveness in many ways.
Verse
8 concludes with the reasons why we are able to accomplish much in
God’s service. God says, “Thou...hast kept my word, and hast not denied
my name.”
The Philadelphia church has always been known by God’s
name. We are called “The Church of God,” unlike other churches that
leave God out of their names and instead use the name of a man, a
doctrine, a method or a type of church government. The Philadelphia
church takes the Bible literally and lives by it, keeps God’s
commandments and uses God’s name in its official title.
Special promises
What
follows in verses 9 and 10 of Revelation 3 are the first two of four
special promises in this letter. These promises are introduced with,
again, that attention-getting word behold.
“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. 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.”
The “synagogue of Satan” is nothing other than Satan’s
false churches. Saying they are Jews simply means claiming to be God’s
true, chosen people (Rom. 2:28-29). They are not, of course, “but do
lie.”
That part of verse 9 is easy enough to understand, but God repeats the “Behold” when He tells us what He’s going to
make these false spiritual Jews do in the future: “Behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet.”
How
could human beings worship other human beings without committing
idolatry? There is only one possible explanation. Those being worshiped
will have been changed from human to divine. They will have become God!
The Philadelphia church knows that this is, precisely, our incredible
human potential. If there were no other verses in the Bible to do so,
this verse would suffice to reveal our destiny as the literal sons of
God. This Church knows the ultimate purpose of human life.
Our
free publications Why Were You Born? and The Incredible Human Potential
explain in detail these truths. You may have these publications by
writing to our office nearest you.
What does God want the false
churches to learn from worshiping before those of us who have been
changed into literal, spirit-born sons of God? Notice: “That I have
loved thee.”
God loves this Church. Soon He will make all
humanity know just how much He loves and cares for this Church that is
so special in His sight.
When Christ speaks to the other church
eras, He has some word of criticism or, in some cases, harsh rebuke for
each. Notice Revelation 2:4, where Christ speaks to the Ephesian era:
“I have somewhat against thee.” Revelation 2:14 and 20, to Pergamos and
Thyatira respectively: “I have a few things against thee.”
Notice
Revelation 3:1: Christ simply tells the Sardis era that they are
spiritually dead, and in Revelation 3:16-17 He describes the Laodiceans
as “lukewarm” and “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and
naked.”
If God felt thus about the Philadelphia church, He would
say so plainly, for He is not bashful about giving criticism where it
is due. How remarkable, then, that we find no such words of criticism
or rebuke in our letter. The letter is entirely positive, indicating
God’s pleasure with this Church that He Himself says He loves dearly.
Isn’t
it, therefore, sadly ironic that human beings influenced by this
Church’s unseen enemy — Satan — become filled with bitterness and
resentment and then attack and criticize the Church and Work against
which God Himself does not take the opportunity to speak? Don’t ever
become a part of such Satan-inspired attacks on God’s Church (Rev.
12:10). Don’t criticize the Church God says He loves.
But what
is to become of the Philadelphia church in the future when the world
stands on the brink of the final holocaust? Will we, too, have to
suffer in the Great Tribulation?
No! That is the second of the
four special promises. “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” (Rev. 3:10).
We will be protected in the tumultuous days ahead, but there are some
important qualifications we need to understand.
Unfortunately,
the first part of this phrase in verse 10 is not clearly translated in
the King James Version. A clearer translation is found in the Phillips
version, which reads, “Because you have obeyed my call to patient
endurance...” That makes it much plainer.
To qualify for God’s
protection, we must heed God’s instruction to endure to the end. As
Christ says in Matthew 24:13, “But he that shall endure unto the end,
the same shall be saved.” We must endure, hang on, persevere, overcome,
hold fast.
A place of protection for the Church that has been
faithful will be provided (Rev. 12:14). There God will protect the
Philadelphia church from Satan’s wrath during the three and a half
years of the Great Tribulation. In that place we will experience final
preparation and additional growth before Christ’s Second Coming.
The word of admonition
Next
comes the letter’s principal word of instruction or admonition,
prefaced by another “Behold.” Here is a stern admonishment: “Behold, I
come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy
crown” (Rev. 3:11).
Christ is here telling us, “Look, I’m coming
soon!” We don’t have long to wait. We dare not say, “My lord delayeth
his coming,” as we know some will (Matt. 24:48). Instead we should say
with Christ, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is
day: the night cometh, when
no man can work”
(John 9:4).
Why should we endure to the end? Why hold fast?
Christ supplies the answer in no uncertain terms: “That no man take thy
crown” (Rev. 3:11). If you don’t endure to the end, someone else will
take your crown, your reward, your office and position in the Kingdom
of God. Why? Because you won’t be there!
Is it selfish to want
your reward in God’s Kingdom? Was the apostle Paul selfish because he
looked forward to receiving his crown (II Tim. 4:7-8)? Paul was coming
to the end of his work and ministry. He knew his death was imminent
(verse 6), but he also knew that “there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at
that day.” Clearly, Paul was looking forward to his reward, and that’s
not bad or wrong. God intends that the promise of our reward serve to
stimulate and inspire us, to help us endure in the face of strong
opposition.
But we shouldn’t just want to “get ours” alone. We
should also want to see the other faithful servants of God receive
their rewards. Paul did: “And not to me only, but unto all them also
that love his appearing” (verse 8).
One of our greatest rewards will
be to see our fellow saints and brethren receive their crowns and be
told, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant...enter thou into the
joy of thy lord” (Matt. 25:21). What a time of happiness that will be!
The final two promises
One
would think, perhaps, that after all the positive and inspiring things
Christ has already said in this letter, He would end on a note of
admonition or instruction. But no, Christ gives two additional promises
for our encouragement.
Notice the first of them in verse 12:
“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God.”
Pillars, according to Galatians 2:9, are leaders. We are called to be
leaders in God’s coming Kingdom, serving at His very headquarters.
And
there is a reason for this: We, perhaps more than the Christians in any
other church era, have been trained to understand the “headquarters”
concept of government. We have been well organized and have been
trained in God’s administrative system of doing things.
Much can
be said about pillars from a structural standpoint as well. Pillars are
typically main features of a building, as they are on the Ambassador
Auditorium in Pasadena, the building dedicated to God’s glory. They are
the mainstays and uprights. They are both beautiful and functional.
Two features of pillars deserve special attention:
1)
They can support weight such as a roof or ceiling. They stand up under
the load — take pressure — and are even more stable when they do so.
2)
They can stand alone if necessary. They don’t need lateral support if
they are placed squarely on the foundation. When all the other parts of
a building are gone, the pillars can still be standing even centuries
later.
There’s a lesson in that for all of us. We, too,
are commanded to “Stand therefore” and “having done all, to stand”
(Eph. 6:13-14).
Once in God’s Kingdom, we will “go no more out”
(Rev. 3:12). This doesn’t mean we will be captives in God’s capital
city. Far from it! We will travel through the universe in God’s
service. But the phrase, no doubt, is used here as in I John 2:19:
“They went out from us, but they were not of us,” speaking of those who
leave God’s Church.
In other words, we will never fall away or
lose our positions once we have attained them. We will be eternally
safe and secure. That isn’t true for us yet, as we know.
Our new names
The
final promise concerns our new names. Revelation 3:12 reveals them:
“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.”
As God’s sons we
will all bear the family name of God. We will also be called by the
name of the new Jerusalem, which will indicate where and how we serve.
We will also bear Christ’s new name as His brethren and fellow servants
of His Father.
In addition, we will probably have our own new
names as indicated in Revelation 2:17. No doubt these names will
describe us well and be fitting for our talents, works and
accomplishments. They will be beautiful names to hear — titles of honor
and distinction forevermore.
Think of it: This name will be yours alone. No one else will go by it. It will identify you for who and what you are
for all eternity. Won’t it be fascinating to see what new names God has in mind for all of us?
“Let him hear”
The final verse of the letter Christ wrote to us offers the same admonition.
Christ
directs at all the other church eras: “He that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” This means we should be
aware of the letters to each of the seven churches — that we should
avoid any of the problems and errors described in them.
But it is especially important to deeply understand the letter Christ has written to our Philadelphia era.
Can
you hear this message? Can you receive it in all its intended fullness
and rich meaning? Are you inspired by it? Will you respond to it as God
intends you to, with good works and steadfast endurance? Will this
letter Christ has written especially for you and me today shape our
thinking and our doing?
If so — if we’re faithful and endure to the end — we’re going to live to see it all come true!
by David Albert Good News June-July 1982
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