ROBERT@kontu.utu.fi (Robert W. Johnson) (03/25/91)
In a series of articles I am going to present the entire Church history as
phrophezied in Revelation 2:1-3:22. These verses phrophezy concerning the
first Church to the last Church before the Lord returns.
If you would like a list of references on Church history please send me a
note.
Note: This posting is very long. It will be divided into seven parts (there
are epistles to seven Churches.) Each part will consist of one or more
subparts.
Part VI of VII - Subpart 2 of 2 of Part VI
CHAPTER 3
III. "THE THINGS WHICH ARE" --
THE SEVEN LOCAL CHURCHES
2:1-3:22
F. Church in Philadelphia --
the Church in Recovery
3:7-13
9 Behold, I will (1)make them of the (2a)synagogue of (b)Satan, those
who (3)call themselves (c)Jews and are (4)not, but lie; behold, i will cause
them to come and (5d)worship before your feet, and they shall know that I
have (e)loved you.
(1) Gk. give, a Hebraism.
(2) A synagogue was a place where the Jews worshipped God mainly by studying
their Scriptures, the Old Testament. However, due to their stubbornness
in clinging to their tradional religious oncepts, they became one with Satan
Inopposing God's way of life to fulfill His purpose. Their synagogues did
this to the Lord Jesus (Matt. 12:9-14; Luke 4:28-29; John 9:22), then to
the Apostles (Acts 6:9; 13:43, 45-46, 50; 14:1-2, 19; 17:1, 5-6), and now
to the churches (Rev. 3:9). therefore, the Lord call them "the synagogue of
Satan." Even when He was on the earth, He considered the synagogues to be
of Satan, as implied in Matthew 12:25-29 and John 8:44. Apparently they were
worshipping God; actually they were opposing God. They persecuted and killed
God's true worshippers, yet they considered themselves to be offering service
to God (John 16:2). Through all the centuries since then, religious people
hae followed in their steps, persecuting the genuine seekers and followers
of the Lord in spirit and life, while considering themselves to be defending
the interests of God. Roman Catholicism and protestantism, as well as
Judaism, all fall into this category, becoming an organization of Satan as
his tool to damage God's economy.
(3) Gk. say.
(4) "Lived again" means resurrection. The Lord suffered death and lived
again. He entered into death, but death could not hold Him (Acts 2:24),
because he is the resurrecxtion (John 11:25). The suffering church also
needs to know Him as such a One that she may endure any kind of suffering.
However severe the suffering, the church will still be alive. The
resurrection life of Christ can endure death.
(5) The Jewish synagogue holds on to Judaism, which comprises the mediatorial
priests, the ordances of letters, the material temple, and the earthly
promises. The recovered church has subdued Judaism by exposing its error
and stubborness in holding on to the above four things and has made the jews
know that the Lord has loved her.
(a) Rev. 2:9 (b) Rev. 2:9 (c) Rev. 2:9 (d) Isa. 60:14 (e) John 15:9
10 Because you have (a)kept the (1)word of My (b)endurance, I also will
(2c)keep you out of the hour of (d)trial which is about to come on the whole
inhabited earth, to try them who (e)dwell on the earth.
(1) "The word of My endurance" is the word of the Lord's suffering. The Lord
today is still suffering rejection and persecution with His endurance. We
are the joint partakers, not only of His kingdom, but also of His endurance
(Rev. 1:9). Hence, His word to us today is the word of endurance. To keep
the word of His endurance we must suffer His rejection and persecution.
(2) "Trial" here undoubtedly denotes the great tribulation (Matt. 24.21)
"which is about to come on the whole inhabited earth," as indicated by the
fifth, sixth, and seventh trumpets with the seven bowls (Rev. 8:13-9:21;
11:14-15; 15:1; 16:1-2). The "trial" may also include the supernatural
calamities of the sixth seal and the first four trumpets. The Lord promises
the recovered church that he will keep here "out of the hour of trial" (not
only out of the trial, but out of the hour of trial) becasue she kept the
word of the Lord's endurance. This promise of the Lord, like His promise
in Luke 21:36, indicates that the saints who have kept the word of the Lord's
endurance will be raptured before the great "trial," implying that those
who have not kept the word of His endurance will be left in the "trial."
(a) Rev. 3:8; 1:3 (b) Rev. 1:9 (c) Luke 21:36; cf. 2 Pet. 2:9 (d) Matt. 24.21;
cf. Dan. 12:1 (e) Rev. 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 12.12; 13:8, 14; 17:8
11 I (a)come quickly; (b)hold fast what you have that no one take your
(1c)crown.
(1) The recovered church has gained the "crown" already. However, if she
does not hold fast what she has in the Lord's recovery until the Lord comes
back, her crown may be taken away by someone.
(a) Rev. 22:7, 12, 20; 2:25 (b) Rev. 2:25 (c) Rev. 2:10
12 He who (1a)overcomes, I will make him a (2b)pillar in the (c)temple
of My God, and he shall by no means go out anymore, and I will write upon him
the (3d)name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the (e)New
jerusalem, which descends out of heaven from My God, and My (f)new name.
(1) To "overcome" here means to "hold fast" what we have in the recovered
church.
(2) In Rev. 2:17 the overcomer becomes a transformed stone for God's building.
here the overcomer will be made "a pillar" built into the temple of God.
because he is built into God's building, "he shall by no means go out
anymore." This promise will be fulfilled in the millenial kingdom as a
prize to the overcomer.
(3) The name of God, the name of the New Jerusalem, and the Lord's new name
written upon the overcomer indicate that the overcomer is possessed by God,
by the New Jerusalem, and by the Lord: that God Himself, His city, the
New Jerusalem, and the Lord Himself all belong to Him; and that he is one
with God, with the New Jerusalem, and with the Lord. The name of God means
God Himself, the name of the new Jerusalem means the city itself, and the
name of the Lord means the Lord Himself. To write the name of God, the
name of the New Jerusalenm, and the name of the Lord upon the overcomer
indicates that what God is, the nature of the New Jerusalem, and the Person
of the Lord, have all been wrought into the overcomer. The mentioning
of the New Jerusalem as a prize to the overcomer indicates that this promise
will be fulfilled in the millemial kingdom. The new Jerusalem in the
millenial kingdom will be a prize to the overcoming saints, whereas the
New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth will be the common portion
of all the redeemed for eternity.
(a) Rev. 2.7 (b) 1 Kings 7:21; Gal. 2:9 (c) Rev. 7:15; 11:1-2, 19; 14:15, 17;
15:5, 6, 8; 16.1, 17 21.22 (d) Rev. 14:1; 22:4 (e) Rev. 21:2, 10; Gal. 4:26;
Heb. 11:10; 12:22 (f) cf. Rev. 2:17
13 He who has an (a)ear, let him hear what the (b)Spirit says to the
churches.
(a) Rev. 2:7 (b) Rev. 2:7
-----
Robert W. Johnson
Computer center, The University of Turku, Turku Finland
robert@kontu.utu.fi (InterNet)
robert@firien.bitnet (BITNET)
The preceeding is my opinion and may not express the opinion of my employer
and furthermore has nothing to do with my employment.