What Makes A Church Great

Transcript

GR 1513
01/11/09
What Makes a Church Great
Revelation 3:7-13
Gil Rugh

We're studying the book of Revelation together and we are in chapter 3. There are seven churches addressed in these first three chapters and we have come to the sixth church out of the seven. As we complete the churches and get ready for more prophetic information in the book, we'll be dealing with some of the order of events and setting the stage and so on. For now we just have in our minds that we are moving toward ultimately the kingdom that Christ will establish on the earth. The church will be part of that kingdom as well as the nation Israel, as well as other nations of the world. That will be the closing chapters of the book of Revelation. But we should not be surprised that there is material related to the kingdom and promises related to the coming kingdom given to the church. That does not mean the church has replaced Israel, it simply means the church is going to be part of the kingdom that God had promised to the nation Israel. And we'll be looking further into the details of that as we move through the book. Some of you were here when we did some studies not too long ago on the whole matter of the kingdom in scripture that puts it in proper perspective.

Seven churches. Let me just give you an overview breakdown. He finds things to commend the church, Christ the Lord of the church, the head of the church. Then He finds things to condemn. Three of the churches have letters addressed to them that include both a message of commendation and a message of condemnation—Ephesus, Pergamum, Thyatira. Those three churches have both a word of commendation from Christ for the good things they are doing, and a word of condemnation or rebuke for areas of failure. Two of the churches received no commendation at all, but only rebuke. Those two are the church at Sardis, which we looked at in our previous study, and the church that is yet before us—the church at Laodicea. Two of the churches receive commendation but no condemnation, no rebuke. One of those churches was the church at Smyrna in Revelation 2:8-11. The other of those churches is the church at Philadelphia, which is the church before us.

It's interesting to me that the two churches that have no rebuke addressed to them are the two churches that are struggling, seem to be having the greatest difficulty and the hardest time. Smyrna. If you look back in chapter 2 verse 9, it's a church characterized by tribulation and poverty. I know your tribulation, your poverty. It is a church that is having intense trials, it's a church that is poor. When we come to the church at Philadelphia in chapter 3 verse 10, it's a church about to go through a period of suffering. They are going to have their trials to deal with. Verse 8, I know your deeds, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut because you have a little power. It's a weak church. I mean, the churches that you give your commendation to, then you have no rebuke for the churches that are weak, that are poor. But they are churches that are honoring Him. What we are reminded of, the measure of the church that Christ has is often radically different from the measure that we have from a human perspective.
The true success is having the approval of God on your life. If Christ says, well done, good and faithful slave, you have been successful. Doesn't matter whether the world looks at you as someone important and significant and great. If the Lord says you've been faithful then you've done well, and that's all that matters. So it is with the church. The church at Smyrna, now we come to the church at Philadelphia, may not have been churches that we'd look at from the perspective we have of what churches we admire and hold them up as churches we want to be like. But they are the churches that Christ says are doing what they should be doing. They don't look maybe like they are having the greatest impact in the world, but they are because they are accomplishing the work that Christ is giving them to do and accomplishing it with faithfulness.

In both Smyrna and Philadelphia, these two churches that have no rebuke, there are strong centers of opposition coming from the Jews. It's called the synagogue of satan. In chapter 2 at the end of verse 9 he says, they say they are Jews. They are not, they are a synagogue of Satan. And then we're going to meet that same kind of group in verse 9 of chapter 3. I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews but are not. And so this opposition and suffering that these two struggling churches endured, probably helps to serve as the refining fire, if you will. The trials and difficulties and hardships of persecution that come to a church to refine it and purify it and keep it faithful, just like trials in our lives. God's work in bringing difficulties into our lives personally is to refine us, to strengthen us, to build His character in us. And that happens in the church as well.

We're moving 28 miles south. Now don't trust my geography because last week I put the church at Sardis in the wrong location to the church at Ephesus. So take the theology, don't take the geography. Look at a map. Where do we get the name Philadelphia? We are well familiar with it because we have a city called Philadelphia. We know it means brotherly love, it's just a compound word—the word brother and the word love. And it came from a literal relationship between two brothers. The founder of this city, and you're not well familiar with his name, Attalus II, had a brother whom he had great affection for. And their relationship was so strong that he was given that epitaph, philadelphus, the lover of a brother. And so when he founded this city it became the city of Philadelphia, really because he founded it in the context of the strong love he had for his brother. So it came out of that literal family relationship, not identified with anything that is characteristic of the city itself, it just has that name from the founder because of the relationship between these two brothers. It was founded to be a missionary city, not missionary in the sense we think of as spreading the gospel, but it was founded to spread the Greek culture, the Greek language into this region, to be a center to permeate this region with the Greek language and make it the dominant language and the Greek culture.

It had a strategic location, was an influential city, was called the gateway to the east. Again, a lot of traffic came through, these cities, each of them was found to have its own prominence. It had a major weakness and that is that it was established in an earthquake area. So in 17 A.D. it was destroyed by an earthquake and had to be rebuilt. Now we are almost 80 years later when this letter is being addressed to it, but that has made a great impact on the city that it was in an earthquake region.

Let's look beginning in verse 7 at the church at Philadelphia. To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write. As I read this and you wonder, each of these messengers has a letter. Have we fallen off? We're down to just two messengers left evidently, I would assume the messengers stayed at their churches even though they evidently had a copy of each of these letters to be read to each church because as we noted, everyone is to listen to what the Spirit says to the churches, plural. So while each church has a letter addressed to it specifically, its message has impact and significance for all the other churches, and then for all believers in churches down through history.

So to this messenger write this, he who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one will open says this. And this letter opens up by a clear presentation of Jesus as the Messiah. And again, it's addressing the church. The church is experiencing intense opposition from a Jewish center in Philadelphia. There is a reminder here that the Messiah of Israel who is the Savior of all is the One addressing here. And He is titled He who is holy. Now this is a familiar title for God drawn from the Old Testament. God speaks, we won't turn to these, but like in Isaiah 40:25 and at the conclusion of what he says, says the Holy One. He is the Holy One of Israel, He is the holy God. Remember the word holy carries the idea of something or someone set apart. And God is the One completely holy because He is completely set apart from sin in every way, no defilement at all. He is the Holy One. And for Christ to identify Himself as holy identifies Him closely and clearly with the Holy God. And when you come into the New Testament it is used as a title for the Messiah in the gospels. Interestingly, it is a title the demons used of God and of Christ as the Messiah of God.

Turn back to Mark 1. It is one of these interesting glimpses into the spirit world that gives us a little insight but leaves us with many questions as well. We're not here to look at the issue of the demonic world, but here in Christ's earthly ministry in Galilee. Look at verse 23, just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, and this is the unclean spirit in the man speaking through the man saying, what business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? Note, they know His power, they know He is the one who could destroy them. I know who you are, the Holy One of God. So clear recognition in the demonic world. So you understand the angels, fallen angels as well as unfallen, knew Christ in His preincarnate state and they understand something of the plan of God with the coming of the Messiah. And in that context and the establishing of His kingdom, there will be a destruction of demons as they are confined to hell. And we often wonder, how much does the devil understand about the future. I can't answer that because he is a fallen being, but we ought not to minimize his knowledge and understanding. When they can run they know who he is, you are the holy one of God. And in the context, You come to destroy us, they can put together that the Son of God is on earth. They know who He is and what He is here for, even though they will fight and oppose that. And they recognize His sovereign power to destroy them if He would so choose.

He rebukes them in verse 25, and tells them to be quiet because He is not willing to have the testimony of demons to support His ministry. We might think, this will make an impression, let the demons declare to everyone who He is. But it's like in the book of Acts when the demon possessed girl begins to tell who Paul really is and these are the servants of the living God, he casts the demons out because we're not looking for the acclaim of the demonic beings. What we are here for is He is the Holy One of God, Messianic title. And they are wondering if it is time for their destruction. It's not.

So that title the Holy One of God. We won't look at other references—Luke 1:35, John 6:69. So come back to Revelation 3. He is not only the Holy One of God, He who is holy. He is set apart from all sin, He is set apart by God for the purposes of God. He thus is holy, He is the One who is true, the One who can be trusted, the One whose promises are sure. He is the One who is genuine in contrast to all others. And we're going to come to that when we deal with the synagogue of Satan. Here is the genuine One, the true One, the One who can be trusted.

Go to I John 5, and John was also the human penman, author of I John as well as the book of Revelation. Verse 19, we know that we are of God and that the whole world lies in the evil one, referring to Satan. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding that we might know Him who is true. We are in Him who is true, in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. See that emphasis on the One who is true. Everything opposed to Him, everything in conflict with Him is false, is a lie. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by Me. He is the One who is true and genuine.

You come back to Revelation 3, and when we get over to Revelation 6:10 we'll find God the Father being identified as holy and true. Of course Christ is of deity as well. He is also holy and true and that is declared here. The following verse is more clearly Messianic with the next statement. He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David. And key of David, Christ is the One who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one will open. The One who has the key of David. Now the background for that. Remember the book of Revelation is filled with Old Testament references and allusions, no direct quotes but hundreds of references that go back to the Old Testament.

Jump back to Isaiah 22. In the context here, verse 15, thus says the Lord God of hosts, come go to this steward, to Shebna who is in charge of the royal household. And what God is going to do is remove Shebna, cast him into exile and replace him. Verse 20, then it will come about in that day that I will summon my servant, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah. I will clothe him with your tunic, and so on. I will entrust him, verse 21, with your authority. Verse 22, then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulders, what he opens no one will shut, what he shuts no one will open. And then Eliakim is going to fail, he's a peg which others hung, if you will. But with time the peg had to be broken off. Where we pick it up is having the key of the house of David which enables you to open and no one can shut, that access to the house of David with the royal family. Some would connect this to the treasure house. This is where this reference comes from. And here under the Spirit is applied to Jesus, He takes it to Himself. I am the One who ultimately, if you will, has the key of David and ultimately access to the kingdom depends on me. And that's where we're going.

So you come back to Revelation 3, reference to David's house. What is the ultimate fulfillment? We looked at the Davidic Covenant in II Samuel 7. It is the kingdom, so access to the house of David and all the blessings promised there. Talking about the Messianic kingdom. That's where the book of Revelation is going, Revelation 20-22, the climax of the book to that kingdom. So having the key of David is having the authority and determining who will have access to the kingdom, who will not. So when He opens no one can shut it and when He shuts it no one can open it. In other words He determines who is going in, who is not going in. And no one can overrule Him. When He opens the door for you to go into the kingdom, no one else can overrule and say you can't go in. And when He determines which person is not going in, that's the last word. There is no appeal to that. He is the descendant of David, that will come out later in chapter 5 verse 5, and we get into the heavenly scene there. We'll just pick up, the elder said to me, stop weeping. Behold the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the root of David. So that identification of Christ in a variety of ways, connecting Him with David, the One who is in the line of David to fulfill the promises to David, the One who has the authority over the kingdom promised to David. Over in Revelation 22:16, I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright and morning star.

So He in that role declared as the Messiah, the fulfillment. And all Jews, now he is writing to the church so it's the church in the context of a battle with unbelieving Jews, the synagogue of Satan at Philadelphia. So here you have a clear identification. They understand the encouragement to this church that has little power. You understand I, the Messiah of Israel, am on your side, so to speak. They are a synagogue of Jews that is really a synagogue of Satan. They don't belong to Me. So it is a word of encouragement, if you will, as the Messiah of Israel to this weak and struggling church being opposed by unbelieving Jews that really comprise the synagogue of Satan.

We don't need to go back there, but Matthew 25. Remember when Christ returns, for example the sheep and goats judgment. What does He do? To the sheep and those on His right hand, enter into the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning. To those on the left, depart from Me, cursed ones, into the fire prepared for the devil and his angels. He has authority over who is going into the kingdom and who is not. He has the key of David. He opens it up and He closes it. And that's the point of this picture.

He picks up with verse 8 then, I know your deeds. Then there is a break, maybe we would say a parenthetical statement. Behold, this will be the first of three beholds. For some reason our English translation drops off one of them but note verse 9 begins behold also. Then in the middle of verse 9 in my version it says, but lie. Then you have that extended hyphen, I will make them. Where that extended hyphen is in the Greek text it says behold again. That's a third time. And it's an attention word three times here. Behold, pay close attention. These are promises that He is going to give to the church. Behold I have put before you an open door which no one can shut. Now that's built out of the identification of who He is and the authority He has in the preceding verse. I have the key of David. When I open no one can shut, when I shut no one can open. Behold I have put before you an open door which no one can shut. Some take this an opportunity for serving, for ministry, for presenting the gospel and the analogy of an open door. It is used that way a number of times in the New Testament. However, in light of the context here I don't think that is what He is talking about. What He is talking about is access to the kingdom. We're talking in the context of the One who has the key of David, the authority in connection with the promises given to David in what are known as the Davidic Covenant, the kingdom under the rule of the descendant of David. Christ, of course, being the fulfillment. So when He says I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, He's promising this faithful church sure access to the kingdom when He establishes it. A word of promise. This is a church that is weak, has little power, it's battling and struggling, if you will, for its very existence and survival. Just because you have little power doesn't mean you're not going to make it. We look at great churches and we think they are the churches that are large, that are influential, that can make an impact. Here is a church that has little power. That's the testimony of Christ. He says I have put before you an open door, no one can shut it. They are going to make it, they will be part of the kingdom. They can get beaten down by their enemies, they can be made to look insignificant and powerless from a human perspective. I put before you the open door, nobody is going to shut it. All their battles, all their opposition, it's a promise. You'll be part of the kingdom when I establish it. A word of great encouragement to this struggling church.

This is in light of, the statement I know your deeds. Then we have this parenthetical statement before He says what their deeds are that He is going to commend them for. They get the promise first. I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut. That's where the parenthesis would end if we were going to put it in parenthesis, before behold and after shut. That word because, you get the idea better if you translated it that. And so the connection would be I know your deeds, that you have little power, that have kept my word and have not denied my name. So you see there is the flow of thought. I know your deeds, here are their deeds, that you have little power and have kept my word. In spite of the fact you have little power, you are a weak and struggling church humanly speaking. I take it this wouldn't have been a church of significant size, significant influence. We pride ourselves when Christians can declare that in the elections, and some of the wind got taken out of that sail, but you better deal with us because we are influential, we are powerful, we can swing this election one way or another. We think we are making ourselves and our power and our influence felt. Wouldn't have found that in the church at Philadelphia. This is a church of little power. But it's a church that Christ commends. I just want you to know, you are going to be part of the kingdom I'm going to establish. Why? I know your works, that you have little power, but you have kept my word. They have been faithful. In spite of the fact you have little power, you have kept my word, you've not denied my name. You see what makes a church great—faithfulness to the Word of God, faithfulness to the truth concerning Christ, who He is and what He has done. In light of the message to these churches, and we'll get to Laodicea next time, what a contrast. I think it will be startling. We stand before Christ and there are those churches that look like this, they just .......... But they are ridiculed today, that little group talking to itself, not making any impact. That's not the way we want to be. We're going on the world stage. Really. Well you may impress the world, but our goal is not to impress the world, our goal is to please the Lord of the church. I know your deeds that you have little power and you still have kept my word and not denied my name. Weak, but strong because they have been faithful.

Now, behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not, but lie. I will make them come and bow down at your feet and make them know that I have loved you. So you see and appreciate why He introduced Himself to this church in the context of His Messianic authority. Evidently the focal point of the opposition, those who are cause of a great deal of the struggle and problems brought on this church are coming from this synagogue of Satan. What a terrible way to be described by the Son of God. This is the second time, the church at Smyrna and now the church at Philadelphia, has in the city a synagogue of Satan. I mean, these Jews declaring that they are the true people of God, and they are the ones serving Him. And Jesus Christ's testimony is they belong to the devil. That's a synagogue, not of God, but of Satan and of Satan's people, if you will.

Those in the synagogue of Satan say they are Jews but are not. They lie. Now again, it has nothing to do with does being a Jew have anything to do with physical heritage. Of course it does, but the distinction has always been drawn and this is true of the Old Testament as well, between that group that are physical Jews. God chose the physical nation for Himself, but within the nation that He chose for Himself there are individuals that belong to Him and individuals that do not. So we have the elect nation, Israel, and then we have the elect people within the elect nation. So not everyone in the elect nation is going to be part of the kingdom. That's why Jesus said to Nicodemus, you must be born again or you will never see the kingdom. It's not enough to be a physical Jew, but the promise to the physical descendants of Abraham will be given to the physical descendants of Abraham. Just like it required a physical descendant of David to fulfill the promises to the physical descendants of David. So Christ is clearly and repeatedly identified as the descendant of David. So these are professing Jews.

Come back to Romans 2, just a reminder. I think it is a theological disaster that people are confused over the identity of Israel. The scripture is no more clear on the doctrine of our salvation than it is on the place of Israel in the plan of God. We must not be confused on this. Romans 2:28, for he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that which is of the heart by the Spirit, not by the letter, and his praise is not from men but from God. Now that's not new. Old Testament prophets called Israel to circumcise your hearts. This is why circumcision was to be a reflection of the fact and a manifestation of the fact that I am a person who has committed myself to God and experienced the circumcision of the heart. We're not saying we're not talking about physical Jews here, but being a physical Jew is not enough. We see it even in the church, this is where we will pick up in our study of II Timothy next time. Being part of the church as we see it physically won't get you into heaven. The very distinction that Paul is making in II Timothy 2 within the church, so the same is within Israel. The church is not Israel, Israel is not the church. But within physical Israel you had true believers and you had people who just were physically part of Israel. But the only ones saved are those who experience God's salvation. So there are Jews going to hell and Jews going to heaven. That's the distinction being drawn.

So the synagogue of Satan are those professing to be Jews but they lie. Oh they are physical descendants but they are not in the line of the covenant promises given to Abraham. They will only be fulfilled in physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who have come to believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and his Savior, the Messiah of Israel. So that clear contrast is drawn.

Go to John 8. Jesus said in verse 31 to Jews who claimed to have believed in Him, evidence of saving faith is a transformed life. So He was saying to those Jews who have believed in Him, verse 31, if you continue in My words then you are truly disciples of Mine. You will be manifesting you are a true disciple, a genuine disciple if you continue to be faithful to My word. And you will know the truth and the truth will make you free. They answered Him. Now they are going to reveal their true character. We are Abraham's descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone. Isn't that startling how reality escapes people? You know who rules Israel at this time? Rome. Well, they are parading about, we've never been enslaved to anyone. But where are they going to go to have Christ crucified? To the Roman governor. Who determines what they can do and not do? The Romans. But they have no concept ......... We think, we'll give the unbeliever the evidence. Forget the evidence. I mean, they are denying the reality that everybody in the world knew. They answered, we are Abraham's descendants, we've never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say you will become free? Well, I'll tell you, we have a spiritual issue here. Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever, the son remains forever. So if the son makes you free, you will be free indeed. I know you are Abraham's descendants, yet you want to kill Me because My word has no place in you. I'm telling you what I heard from My Father, but you won't listen.

Verse 39, they answering said to Him, Abraham is our father. Jesus said to them, if you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham. But as it is you are seeking to kill Me, a man who told you the truth which I heard from God. This Abraham did not do. You are doing the deeds of your father. That argument, we were not born of fornication. We have one father, God. Jesus said to them, if God were your father you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God. He sent Me. Why don't you understand what I am saying? It's because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil. So you see when He identifies the synagogue of Satan, He did that during His earthly ministry. You are of your father the devil, and you always want to do the desires of your father. He is a murderer, he's a liar and that's exactly what you are. So you are of our father the devil. So these Jews, you don't belong to God. You are not truly in the line of the promises given to Abraham. Sure Abraham is your physical father, ancestor, but the covenant of promises that make Abraham significant, you're not part of them. That's the point.

So you come back to Revelation 3. The promise here. To those of the synagogue of Satan who claim to be Jews, in other words we are the ones who will get all the promises. No, they lie. I will make them come and bow down at your feet, make them know that I have loved you. And we won't go back for time, but Isaiah 60:14 is the background for this. And there Israel is told that the nations of the earth in the kingdom will come and bow down before them. But now we've expanded to know the church is going to have a key part in that kingdom. And you know what? Even these Jews will come and bow down and they will know that Christ has loved them. So we get to the kingdom, you know what? The Jews will recognize the part that the church has and Jews will become believers. The proud Jews will be brought to bow down before the redeemed church because we will rule and reign with Christ in the kingdom. We have an exalted position, we will be the bride of the Messiah, we will rule and reign with him as has been promised. And so this church is promised there is coming a day when you will be recognized as mine. You will be recognized as having authority with Me so that they will bow down before you. So remarkable promise.

Back in Revelation 2:26 in the promise to the church at Thyatira. He who overcomes and he who keeps My deeds until the end, I will give him authority over the nations. He will rule them with a rod of iron as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces as I have received authority from My Father. So you see we will receive authority from the One who has been given all authority by His Father. So they will come and bow down before the church and we will rule and reign in that kingdom.

So these Jews, they are huffing and puffing, seeming to do great damage in keeping this church from “amounting to anything.” But it is being faithful. God could have destroyed the synagogue of Satan and enabled the church at Philadelphia to have a great “revival” and sweep through the city. But it's not what He chose to do. And all this church has to do is be faithful, keep faithful to the Word, keep faithful to Christ.

Verse 10, a promise. Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I will also keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth. That becomes a very, very debated verse. Seems straightforward as we read it, but it becomes a conflict because of the promise given here. Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, my endurance, their faithfulness through the trials and difficulties. I will keep you from the hour of testing. Now what are we talking about here? I take it in light of the context, we're talking about the setting up of the kingdom. We're talking about the One who will determine who goes into the kingdom and who does not. What does the Old Testament prophesy before the kingdom? The tribulation, the 70th week of Daniel, that period of time that will be the subject of Revelation, beginning in chapter 6 and running through chapter 19. We climax with the return of Christ to the earth to establish His kingdom. I take it that's the promise given here. I will keep you from the hour of testing that is to come upon the whole world. This is not, now ......... Remember we have a message to the church and there are things that specifically pertain to that specific local church, but we are obviously carried beyond just that, because Christ has promised them access to His kingdom when it is established. Well this particular local church is not going to, in their lifetime on earth, move into the kingdom, but they are going to go into the kingdom in their glorified bodies, in their resurrected and glorified bodies. So everyone who has ears to hear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches, and each of them. Back in chapter 2 verse 26, he who overcomes and keeps ............. I give him authority over the nations to rule and reign when Christ reigns. Well, obviously that hasn't happened yet. But it is a promise to the church. So here this promise to the church at Philadelphia has significance for the churches as we listen. They will not be part of the coming tribulation.

It's called the hour of testing which is about to come upon the whole world. That whole world is literally the whole inhabited earth. You may have a note in your margin to that effect, a compound word, means the inhabited earth. And that's what we're talking about, the earth, the inhabited earth. It's a word that means the whole inhabited earth. We haven't seen that yet, but that time of testing and trial that will come upon the whole world and everybody on the earth in the inhabited world.

To test those who dwell on the earth. The particular purpose of this time of testing or trial is to test those who dwell on the earth. And that becomes almost a technical expression used through the book of Revelation, ten other times, to refer to unbelievers who will be on earth during the tribulation. So the tribulation is going to test the whole world and even those who become believers will experience trial during that time, much martyrdom and so on. But it's particularly geared to test the unbelievers, those who dwell on the earth. That is their home, their place. They are unregenerate people.

Let's look at a couple of these references. Revelation 6:10, here you have martyrs under the fifth seal, and we'll get to the details of that. But they cried out in verse 10 with a loud voice, saying, how long oh Lord, holy and true, will you refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth. You see unregenerate, unbelieving men who have martyred these believers. So those who dwell on the earth, in reference to the godless people who are trying to destroy believers. Revelation 8:13, and I looked and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven saying with a loud voice, woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth. A judgment poured out on an unbelieving world. Revelation 11:10, it's used twice. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate. What they are rejoicing over is the two prophets of God have been killed. Those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate and they will send gifts to one another because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. Here are God's representatives, God's spokesmen, God's servants they oppose. So you see the expression, those who dwell on the earth. Revelation 13:8, all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. So you see these are unregenerate people, those are the ones who will worship the antichrist. Rev 13:14, and he deceives. Again we are dealing in the context with the ministry of the antichrist and the false prophet. He deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given to him to perform in the presence of the beast. Who does he deceive? Unregenerate, godless people. God will send them a strong delusion that they should believe a lie. Who are we talking about? Those who did not believe the truth, II Thessalonians 2. Revelation 17:2, and the spiritual harlotry that unbelievers have committed. With whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality. You get the point. Those who dwell on the earth are unregenerate people.

Why do we belabor this? Because understand the purpose of the seven-year tribulation is to pour out God's wrath on unbelieving people. That will include unbelieving Israel. And His purpose in pouring out His wrath on unbelieving Israel is to bring unbelieving Israel to its knees and ultimately to faith in the Messiah. It's a time of trial and testing, but it's a time for unbelievers. We'll talk more about why the church is removed and evidence that it is before this time. But I think this verse is a promise given to the church and to the churches that we will be kept from that hour of trial, kept out of it because we are those who have demonstrated that we are genuine because we kept the word of His perseverance.

I am coming quickly. Hold fast what you have so that no one will take your crown. I think this is a promise similar to the one where I will not erase his name from the book of life. I'm coming quickly, warning, His soon return, His imminent return. Hold fast what you have. We have the perseverance of the saints, genuine saints persevere. This is an encouragement in that perseverance, so that no one will take your crown. Genuine believers are evidenced by staying faithful. They won't lose their crown. So in other words you don't give up, you have little power, it seems like this is relentless. Maybe you just give in, give up. No, you can't do that. You lose the crown you could have had. You ask, are you saved and lost? No, it's another word of encouragement like I won't erase your name from the book of life. No true believer has his name erased. A word of promise. You hold fast because no one is taking my crown. Why are you holding fast? No one is taking my crown, I'm staying with it to the end, I'm faithful.

And you see that in the next verse. He who overcomes. So you see we are talking about genuine believers here and sorting them out. It's the overcomer, and that's the same thing as those who hold fast. They won't lose their crown. And he who overcomes, I'll make him a pillar in the temple of my God. He won't go out from it anymore, I will write on him the name of my God, the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven from my God. And my new name. A series of promises given here. He who overcomes, I'll make him a pillar in the temple of my God. We reside permanently in the presence of God, that's our promise, what we call heaven. But you understand that's going to be in the kingdom because when we get there and look at the eternal kingdom, we're going to find that God's presence resides in the New Jerusalem and heaven is where God manifests the fullness of His glory for His creation to see and behold. When we talk about heaven, heaven is where the throne of God is, and the angels of heaven are gathered around Him and so on. But you understand that will be in the kingdom, the new heavens and the new earth and the New Jerusalem in the future. We'll see there when we get there.

So I'll make him a pillar in the temple of my God, in the very presence of God. Now pillar, not that we're going to be turned to marble, it's a picture of that permanence. We say today, he's a pillar of strength, he's a pillar there. And note the permanence of the position we will have in the very presence of God. He will not go out from it anymore. That doesn't mean we can't go out from the New Jerusalem where we rule and reign, but that is a permanent residence for us. Like we talk about the angels of heaven, they are residents of heaven. They may come to earth to do something at the bidding of God, but their permanent dwelling place is heaven. So our permanent dwelling place, we will not go out from the presence of God.

I'll write on him the name of my God. That means we belong to God, He has claimed us as His own. The name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven from my God. That's in Revelation 21, we'll get there. That name is on us. Why? We belong there, we are the inhabitants. It's like our passport, we have the name of the New Jerusalem on us, we belong to God, we belong to the city He has prepared for us. And my new name, we belong to Christ and are identified with Him. I mean, this is the promise to this church that has little power. Don't get discouraged, don't give up. I mean, it's not all about the struggle here, it's all about where you are going. Sometimes when the struggles and the trials get intense enough, it seems like I just can't go on, but you understand it's not all about the battle here. The battle here is just a preparation for the glory that's ahead. I mean, what promise is given to this little nothing of a church from a human perspective. Little power. I mean, if you were going to rate it humanly speaking I'm sure we would say, looks like the synagogue of Satan is winning this battle. I mean, when the Lord of the church says you have little power. Could you be any more successful? Keep on holding fast, I'm coming soon. Constant reminder to the church, live in light of the return of the Lord, don't bail out. And genuine believers don't bail out. And the one who overcomes gets all the reward.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Now this is addressed to the church at Philadelphia, but it's for all the churches and it's for us, because we are one of the churches and we want to keep the perspective true and live in light of that ultimate goal and destiny. Sometimes we think, the goal of the church is heaven and that will be it. You understand the goal of the church ultimately is the kingdom. Now we're going to heaven before that, that will be wonderful, but when Christ comes back to earth we're coming back with Him. When He rules and reigns on this earth, we will rule and reign with Him. When the New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven and is established on the new earth, we will be in it. That's where we're going. So the battles, the conflicts, the difficulties, it's an opportunity for us to demonstrate faithfulness. We want to be those who are true to His word, who keep His word. We don't deny His name. And we're faithful to that, whatever comes, whatever goes, whatever happens. We're committed to the word of God, we are committed to the message of Christ our Savior. That's what we're about. And when they look insignificant, we may become less significant than we are. But that's all right, as long as the Lord of the church is pleased, we are successful. And we have a glorious, glorious end. And no one will keep us from it because the One who has the ultimate authority has given His promise.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your truth. Thank you for what you've promised to the churches. Lord, what a blessing it is to belong to you, to be a church that you have established for your purposes, for your honor, for your glory. Lord, may we not lose sight of our responsibility, our privilege individually and together as a church family. Lord, thank you for the church at Philadelphia, their faithfulness to you. A church that has little power, but they were faithful to your word, they were faithful to Christ, they have great promises, a great future. Lord, that's true of us as well as we are faithful to you. May we have such a testimony until Christ comes. We pray in His name, amen.