2/25/07 – 8LAW “Revelation’s Seven Churches – Part 6”
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Hello!  This is Richard Vaughn

Today’s subject – “Revelation’s Seven Churches – Part 6”

Before we begin today’s program, shall we reverently seek God’s presence. Heavenly Father, once again we ask for divine guidance through the agency of the Holy Spirit, as we open the word and continue our study of the seven churches in the Book of Revelation.  In Jesus name Amen.

I continue to keep my pledge to cry aloud and spare not, lift up my voice like a trumpet and to show God’s people where they are transgressing God’s Law.

We concluded our study last week of the fifth of the seven churches of Revelation as found in chapter 3. That was the church in Sardis and its parallel church period was from AD 1798 to 1833.

In our continuing study of the seven churches of Revelation we have discovered that there was a dual application, as the description, warnings rebukes and promises applied to the seven churches of that first century, but also describes the Christian church in seven periods of its history to our present day.

Today we will continue with the sixth church, starting in Revelation chapter 3, verse 7. It would really help your understanding if you follow along with me as we study verse by verse. Verse 7 reads, “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 period of history covered by the church of Philadelphia was from AD 1833 to 1844. The meaning of the name Philadelphia is “brotherly love.” Inspiration has presented this as the church of the great second advent awakening.
In a special way the great evangelical movements in Europe and the United States restored the spirit of brotherly love and stressed practical godliness in contrast with the forms of religion. Revived faith in the saving grace of Christ and in the nearness of His return resulted in a deeper spirit of Christian fellowship than the church had experienced since the early days of the Reformation.
“These things saith he that is holy, he that is true,” This is of course Jesus speaking. “…he that hath the key of David, …” Christ’s possession of the “key” represents His jurisdiction over the church and over the divine purpose to be achieved through it.
“… he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;” 
The true Witness has given us the assurance that He has set before us an open door, which no man can shut. Those who are seeking to be faithful to God may be denied many of the privileges of the world; their way may be hedged up and their work hindered by the enemies of truth; but there is no power that can close the door of communication between God and their souls. The Christian himself may close this door by indulgence in sin, or by rejection of heaven's light. He may turn away his ears from hearing the message of truth, and in this way sever the connection between God and his soul. . . . Neither man nor Satan can close the door which Christ has opened for us.
Whenever tempted, we have this open door to behold. No power can hide from us the light of the glory which shines from the threshold of heaven along the whole length of the ladder we are to climb; for the Lord has given us strength in His strength, courage in His courage, light in His light. When the powers of darkness are overcome, when the light of the glory of God floods the world, we shall see and understand more clearly than we do today. If we only realized that the glory of God is round about us, that heaven is nearer earth than we suppose, we should have a heaven in our homes while preparing for the heaven above.

Verse 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.  
In the preceding verse Christ is said to have the “key of David.” Verse 8 may imply that with that key He now opens before the Philadelphia church a “door” of unlimited opportunity for personal victory in the struggle with sin, and for bearing witness to the saving truth of the gospel.

Many weeks ago, when we studied the longest time prophecy in the Bible, the 2300 day/year prophecy of Daniel 8:14, we learned that that period began in 457 BC and concluded in 1844, at which time Jesus left the Holy Place and entered the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary, to begin the anti-typical Day of Atonement, the investigative judgment, and there as our High Priest, ministers in our behalf. 
Accordingly the “shut door” would be that of the holy place where Jesus ended the first phase of His heavenly ministry and the “open door” that of the most holy place where He started the second phase.
“…and no man can shut it…” Man can do nothing to hinder His ministry in the courts of heaven or His jurisdiction and control over the affairs of earth.
  “…for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.” 
The “little strength” certainly presents a better picture than the church of Sardis, which was all but “dead,” except for a precious few. The “open door,” may be thought of as an invitation to enter into an experience of even “greater strength.” The Philadelphia period of church history, with its increased attention to God’s Word, particularly the prophecies of Daniel and of the Revelation, and to personal godliness, represented a much more encouraging picture than the preceding period. 

Verse 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.”  
Applied to the Philadelphia period of church history, this is directed at those who claim to be Christians (Spiritual Jews), who do not keep pace with advancing truth and who oppose Christians that do. This verse has also been applied to those who persist in their opposition to truth, particularly to the time when circumstances will compel them, though unrepentant, to acknowledge that those who have been loyal to truth are indeed God’s people.

Verse 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.  
As God’s people we are be patient as Christ was patient under trial.
“I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation…” The “hour of temptation” doubtless refers to a great time of testing preceding the second advent. Overcomers will successfully endure the period of tribulation, not that they will be untouched by it. 
“…which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. This refers to the unrighteous, upon whom the divine judgments will be poured out.

Verse 11 “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
We need to be in a constant state of readiness as we do not know the hour that Jesus will come or when our probation will end.
The crown will be the token of victory over Satan and will be given to the righteous by Jesus. The counsel of Jesus once again is “hold fast” and to let no man take our crown. No priest, no pastor, no evangelist no one having a form of godliness that may very well be an agent of Satan. We are to be like the noble Bereans who in Acts 17:11, “…they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” With every wind of doctrine circulating, the only safety is in the study of the Word.
  
Verse 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.  
“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God…” A metaphorical “pillar” would of course be part of a metaphorical “temple.”   This promise would mean that the overcomer will hold a permanent, important place in the very presence of God.
“…and he shall go no more out…” In this life people may choose to go out from the presence of God, but in the future life, no one would deliberately choose to leave His presence.

Verse 13 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Once again, this is a serious call to all, to hear and to understand as it applies to eternal issues.

And so we have looked at the six of the seven churches in Revelation and how they relate to the six periods of the Christian church history. In review we had the apostolic church Ephesus, which concluded around 100 AD; followed by the Smyrna church, covering a period from 100 to 323 AD. The third church Pergamos was from 323 to 598 AD. After Pergamos came Thyatira, the longest period running from 598 to 1798 AD. The Sardis church followed, only 32 years. 1798 to 1833 AD. The church of Philadelphia, which we just studied, was the shortest, only 11 years, 1833 to 1844 AD. Finally next week we will study the seventh church, the church of Laodicea. This church period began in 1844 and it is the description of the Christian church today. Most people think the Christian church today is better than it ever has been. But as you will learn, the spiritual condition of the Christian church today is worse than it ever has been. 

Time is up for this week’s study, so be tuned in next week as we continue our study with the 7th church, the church of Laodicea. Next week, “Revelation’s Seven Churches – Part 7”.	

	If you want some more information or even Bible studies, contact me by writing to: Pastor Vaughn that’s V-A-U-G-H-N, at PO Box 727, South Hill, VA 23970. Once again that’s Pastor Vaughn that’s V-A-U-G-H-N, at PO Box 727, South Hill, VA 23970. 
 
	And remember, you are always welcome to worship with us each seventh day Lord’s Day (that’s Saturday mornings) at the Victory Seventh Day Adventist Church located at 117 W. Danville Street in the center of South Hill, VA. 

	Until next week, Jesus said in John 5:39, “Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me”. Even so, Come Lord Jesus.