3:7-13 What do we learn here from the church at Philadelphia?

Of the seven churches in Asia Jesus addresses in Rev 2-3, the church at Philadelphia is the only church He promises to save from the great tribulation, "... because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."

As we learned in our study on Rev 1:19, the word from here means "out of".

This means that Jesus is going to save everyone who belongs to the church at Philadelphia, out of the great tribulation. This is further evidence of a pre-tribulation rapture, which is taught throughout scripture (cp Lk 21:36).

This is the first allusion to the rapture in scripture. Here Jesus tells His listeners that there is a way to escape the horrendous events of the great tribulation He was describing in Lu 21, and that is to be "accounted worthy". Those who the church at Philadelphia represents, are accounted worthy (cp 1Th 1:6-10).

What Paul says here is essentially the same as what Jesus said in Lk 21:36. The tribulation is God's wrath poured out upon sinners, not saints (cp Ro 5:8-9; Eph 5:1-6; 1Th 1:10; 5:2-11; 2Pe 2:9).

These scriptures all teach that Jesus is coming back for those who belong to Him before God's wrath is poured out upon the earth, not at the same time as, or afterwards, as so many in the church believe.

This is also proved by what Jesus said in Rev 1:19, "... write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter." The things which shall be hereafter, cannot begin until the things which are have been fulfilled.

The things which are concern the church age are addressed in Rev 2-3. The things which shall be hereafter have been predestined to take place after the church age and are addressed in Ch 4-22.

The church is never mentioned again in scripture as being on earth after Rev 3. It has been raptured, and is represented by the twenty-four elders in heaven (cp Re 4:4, 9-11; 5:8-10; 19:1-4). The twenty-four elders in these scriptures represent the raptured church in heaven.

They identified themselves in Rev 5:9 as the church, redeemed to God from out of every tribe, language, people, and nation in the earth (cp Rev 5:9).

The things which shall be hereafter include the revelation of Antichrist; the great tribulation; Christ's second coming; the battle of Armageddon and the defeat of both Antichrist and the devil; the judgment of the nations; Christ's millennial reign; the great white throne judgment; the final judgment of Satan and all the unrighteous, the creation of a new heaven and earth, and the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from heaven to earth to be the seat of government, from which both God and Christ will rule throughout eternity. None of these things can begin until the church age in Ch 2-3 is fulfilled.

The saints who are saved after Rev 3 come out of the great tribulation - they are not the church, as so many believe (cp Mt 24:9; Rev 6:9-11; 7:9-14; 17:6). They were beheaded for their witness to Christ; they would not take the mark of the beast, nor worship him (cp Re 13:7-8, 15-17; 14:13; 15:2-4; 20:4).

It is highly significant that the only Christians who qualify for the rapture belong to the Philadelphia church. Philadelphia means brotherly love; the love of brethren; love for the brethren.

The New Testament stresses how Christians are to love one another, because it is only their love for each other that proves Christians' love for God, perfects His love in them, and assures them of their place in His eternal kingdom (cp 1Jn 2:10; 3:14; 4:7-21; 5:1-2). The effectiveness of God's love in Christians demonstrates itself in their love for the brethren. This is the "perfect love that casts out fear" in 1Jn 4:18.

This fear is the fear of being eternally damned. Christians in whom God's love is perfected do not have this fear - they have passed from death to life, because of their love for each other, as we learned in 1Jn 3:14, "... we know that we have passed from death into life, because we love the brethren."

This clearly teaches that it is only Christians' love for one another that ensures their place in God's eternal kingdom. We need to heed what these scriptures teach because they all emphasize the love Christians are to have for each other as the key to eternal life (cp Mt 22:36-40; Jn 13:34-35; Ro 12:9-10; 13:8-10; 1Cor 13:1-7; 1Pe 1:22).

See also comments on Jn 13:34-35; Ro 13:8; 1Cor 12:31; Ga 5:1-8, 5:13; 1Th 3:12; 1Jn 2:7, 3:15, 3:16-18, 3:19-22, 4:7-21.

Not everyone who calls Jesus Lord, will be saved (cp Psa 119:9; Pr 4:4; Mt 7:21-27; Lk 13:23-27; Ro 2:13; Jas 1:22-25; Rev 1:3; 3:14-16).

Jesus has promised to save only those who have repented and overcome the evil in their midst, persevered in faith in the face of intense persecution, and love their brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless of where they fellowship.

They have fulfilled the New Testament law of love and are assured of their place in God's eternal kingdom (cp Mt 22:39-40; Ro 13:8-10). See also comments on Lk 21:36, Jn 5:28-29, 14:1-3, 1Cor 15:51-58, Php 3:20-21, 1Th 4:13-18, 5:1-11, 2Th 2:1-3, 2:6-8, Rev 1:19

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