Are you 'Philadelphia?' #1 intro

In the small group that meets in our home we have just finished Revelation chapter 1-5.  For many Revelation is something to be treated like a body lying on the floor.  You tentatively approach it and poke it with sticks to see if it will do anything.  By the grace of God we have not had this approach and can see clearly in the plain reading of the text what is happening.  Of particular interest is the seven churches that Jesus writes or dictates to John about in chapters 2 and 3.  Rather than prodding with a stick many use a barge-pole!  The reason is because if we absorb Jesus' letters to the churches we find some unsettling facts.

The obvious fact is that Jesus sees fit to address issues in churches that existed at the time. I am one of the people who believe that the seven churches represent a prophetic overview of the entire church age.  Apart from the fact that studying the seven churches fits forensically with the history of the church, we are told in Chapter 4 that 'after these things' and what I would say is the rapture of the church.  John was called up by a trumpet.  The 24 elders bear all the resemblance of the redeemed through chapters 4 and 5 and curiously the seven lamps which Jesus says represents the seven churches (ages) are now in the throne room of God.  Are we still prodding it with sticks?

One overlooked feature of the seven churches is that the last 4 have two distinct characteristics.  The first on is that the construction of the letter changes and the last part is a post script.  Dr Chuck Missler points this out and his teachings on this are available on YouTube.  Another feature Missler does not fully pick up on is that the last four churches are all present on the earth when the Lord snatches the church away in what we call the rapture.  Maybe this is why the last four churches all have some mention in some way of the return of Christ while the others don't so explicitly.

As we go through the churches and match them to distinct ages we find accurate information.  Thyatira is the Roman Catholic mess and Sardis is the post-Reformation debacle that spawned the denominational sects we see today.  We also have Laodicea which describes the western church, so perceiving 'plenty' as blessing while in reality it is desperately lacking in what Jesus values as blessing.  In there is the church at Philadelphia.  Every church thinks they are Philadelphia because it receives no bad report from the Lord.  For a church to say they are 'Philadelphia' in prophetic history is a less than humble claim.  That said, all churches can aim for what Philadelphia aims for.

Over the next few blogs I will examine Philadelphia and show how church systems and structures can hinder becoming the body of believers who receive no negative comments from the Lord.

Gary Ward