REVELATION 3 - PHILADELPHIA
REVELATION 3 - PHILADELPHIA
No part of Scripture could be more encouraging and stimulating to all who love the Lord Jesus Christ, and desire to cherish His interests at the present time, than the epistle to the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia. It shews that the Lord intends to have under His eye at the close of the church’s history on earth something quite different from the corruptions of Popery, or the lifeless formalism of Protestantism, and in marked [p. 50] contrast to the lukewarm and boastful condition seen in Laodicea.
There is a remnant in Thyatira, a few faithful individuals in Sardis, and the possibility of some individual hearing the Lord’s voice, and opening the door to Him, even in Laodicea. We have seen in Sardis indications of revival corresponding with the movement which we speak of as the Reformation. But Philadelphia speaks of a further revival. Not merely a correction of gross abuses, but a return to the original spiritual features of the assembly. For to keep the word of Christ and not to deny His Name, to know His love, and to keep the word of His patience is really to have the spiritual features which marked the assembly at the beginning. And these features are seen here as held in “the love of the brethren” — Philadelphia means this — and having the approval of the Lord.
That there have been remarkable spiritual movements within the last hundred years will not be questioned by any whose ears and eyes have been open to what the Spirit has been saying and what the Lord has been doing. Those movements have had in view the bringing about such spiritual conditions as are seen in Philadelphia. I do not pretend to say how far that end has been reached, or in how many of the saints; probably only in a partial way as yet anywhere. But I have no doubt that the Lord is working in thousands of hearts with this end in view. If this is the distinctive character of what He is doing at the present moment, it claims the attention and profound interest of every heart that loves Him. None of us, surely, would like to miss the peculiar privilege of the great spiritual revival which Philadelphia indicates! We have often heard of evangelical revivals, but what [p. 51] comes before us in Philadelphia is the fruit of what may be called a church revival. If we consider the features of assembly revival which are here presented to our view we may discern how much — or how little! — that revival has reached our hearts in divine power.
We have seen already how important it is to observe the character in which the Lord Jesus presents Himself to each assembly, for it is the spiritual apprehension of Him in that character that enables one to be an overcomer. To Philadelphia He presents Himself as “the holy, the true”, and as having “the key of David”. It is what He is personally, and His acting for the assembly. To have Christ before us as “the holy, the true”, is to be apart in spirit from every element of corruption or formality. It is to be engaged with One who is of an entirely different order from the man who admits such elements. One absolutely apart from any trace of what is defiling, God’s Holy One.
He knew no sin, yet was He made sin for us that God might be glorified in His holiness; and now as risen and ascended He is “the holy”; no moral stain can ever be found upon Him. He ever was personally without stain, but He is “the holy” as having taken up the question of man’s sinful state as in Adam, and removed it sacrificially in His death. He was forsaken because God was holy (Psalm 22: 3) when He was found vicariously in the place of the defiled and sinful man, and in His death the history of that man has been ended before God. Anything that gives man in the flesh a place — even in his best and most attractive form — is contrary to divine holiness. The sanctimoniousness of the flesh often passes for holiness, but it is quite another thing to be in Christ Jesus — the [p. 52] risen and heavenly Man — and to have Him made unto us holiness. Any true desire amongst Christians for holiness or increased devotedness is an exercise produced by the Spirit of God, but the movements in this direction at the present day often stop far short of the divine thought. People can have what they call “holiness by faith”, and yet go on with many things which are contrary to the truth, and which really give man in the flesh a place. But God would have us to see that man condemned and set aside in judgment in the death of Christ, and that a risen and glorified Man is “the holy”, and that we are in Him and have His Spirit so that we may come out here as having the moral features of a new and heavenly order of man. This detaches us completely from self as a centre, and connects us in mind and affection with Christ in heaven. We then begin to realize that the saints are “one body in Christ” for the expression of Christ down here. In the light of this how could we go on with any religious order or system which gives man in the flesh a place? In taking character from Christ, and being formed in Him — formed in the divine nature — we get holiness by love. And as saints take this up together in the love of the brethren there is that under the eye of the Lord which has the original features of the assembly. There is something which has true assembly character.
Then Christ is also “the true”. The assemblies have proved themselves untrue; they have not maintained the character which attached to them as “golden lamps” set to shine in witness here. They have not been genuinely even what they have professed to be. But Christ is “the true”. Whatever character attaches to Him, whatever office He fills, whatever [p. 53] service He renders, whatever He presents Himself as being or doing or saying, Godward or manward, that He is in the fullest and most genuine sense. He is the true Light, the true Bread, the true Vine, the true God, the true Witness. He is the absolute embodiment and expression of all that is blessed, whether it be on the side of revelation, or on the side of response to revelation in a Man. In whatever character we think of Him — and how innumerable are the forms of love, wisdom, grace and power which He wears! — He is the full setting forth of that character.
All God’s thoughts of blessing for man are set forth in Him. We do not need to go outside Christ for anything. He is made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and holiness and redemption. All is seen in Him without defect or diminution. He is “the true”. And consequent upon His death, and His being glorified, we have His Spirit so that we may consciously know and enjoy what is true in Him, and be found in moral correspondence with it down here, and that this may mark us in the relations in which we stand as loving the brethren.
“He that has the key of David, he who opens and no one shall shut, and shuts and no one shall open”. This is clearly an allusion to Isaiah 22, where under figure of Shebna and Eliakim is set forth God’s utter rejection of man after the flesh, and His causing all that is glorious to be found connected with Christ. As to Shebna, all his activities in the house only resulted in his having a sepulchre there — the evidence that he was under death. “Behold, Jehovah will hurl thee with the force of a mighty man, and will cover thee entirely. Rolling thee up completely, he will roll thee as a ball into a wide country: there shalt thou [p. 54] die, and there shall be the chariots of thy glory, O shame of thy lord’s house!” No more striking figure of utter rejection can be found. But there is One of whom Jehovah speaks as “my servant”, who has the key of the house of David upon His shoulder, and who opens and shuts so that none can reverse what He does. He is a throne of glory to His Father’s house, and He sustains all the glory and vessels of that house. And even He after the flesh must go — as intimated in verse 25 — that He may take all up, and hold it abidingly as the Risen and Heavenly One.
To Philadelphia He gives “an opened door, which no one can shut, because thou hast a little power, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name”. The “works” of Philadelphia have a very precious character, for they are all directly connected with Christ. They consist in keeping His word, not denying His Name, and keeping the word of His patience. The fact that these things are kept is the evidence of power. It is not power that makes a show in the world; the Lord speaks of it as “a little power”; but it is spiritual power exercised in the cherishing of that which is infinitely great and precious, and that in which all assembly testimony consists.
His “word” is the expression of Himself, and in that the Father is revealed. He came into the world to declare God, and none but the only begotten Son in the bosom of the Father could do that. Then His “name” suggests that He is personally absent; He is no longer here, but is a glorified Man in heaven. It is everything to cherish that Person, to cherish the revelation of God in Him, and all the precious and holy features of that Blessed Man. It is really to [p. 55] know Him that is from the beginning, and there is nothing beyond this; it is the joy of “fathers” in the family of God (1 John 2). Though He is no longer here personally He is here in the confession of His Name by the brethren who love one another. The test of everything in word or deed or spirit is, Does it express Christ? Is the love that binds us together as brethren the very love to which He gave impulse at the beginning? “A new commandment I give to you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13: 34). Whatever is contrary to this is a denial of His Name. Our self-seeking, our sectarian narrowness, deny that Name; they do not confess the absent One, or maintain Him here in testimony; they are unworthy of saints. We are to walk together in the love of the brethren confessing His Name — bringing that Name into evidence by the holy love in which we walk together. This is true assembly character, and assembly testimony.
Then He can say, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience”. The whole story of His rejection by the world is wrapped up in that word. His rights have all been refused Him here, and He sits at God’s right hand until His enemies are made His footstool. He is waiting in patience to have His rights and glory in another day, and His saints in Philadelphia are marked by keeping the testimony of His patience. They will not reign as kings where He is despised and rejected. They leave the politics of the world to those who are of it; they wait for the One who will set aside the whole present political system of the world by His own power and kingdom in due time. They own the powers that be as ordained [p. 56] of God, and are in submission to them, but they cannot take part in ruling where Christ is rejected. Nor can they help on things which are on the line of giving Christianity a place of honour in the world. As companions of Christ’s rejection they look to be found in the place of reproach here. And they will escape the hour of trial that is coming. The world hopes that things will get better; politicians labour to bring about improvement; but the saints know that what is about to come is an hour of unprecedented trial “upon the whole habitable world, to try them that dwell upon the earth”. The Lord spoke of it very distinctly. Those that dwell upon the earth will have to learn by terrible experience the instability of all things here; everything that they trust in will be overturned. The events of recent years have shewn how little confidence can be put in the stability of things here. What will it be in that fast-approaching moment when the hour of trial really comes, and the power of evil breaks forth in its full manifestation? The assembly will be kept out of that hour of trial, for she will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air before the great tribulation. And in the meantime saints, as keeping the word of Christ’s patience, are kept out of the turmoil and instability that mark the political world. Their trust is in God amidst wars, revolutions, and the angry contentions of selfish and ambitious men. Their hope as to things here is the appearing of Christ.
“Behold, I have set before thee an opened door, which no one can shut”. Those who have the Philadelphian characteristics will not be stopped in their service or testimony, though having no human influence or support, and no human organization to [p. 57] promote success. The synagogue of Satan is plainly hinted at as the great opponent of this assembly, even as it had been of the assembly in Smyrna. It is those with earthly religious pretensions, authority derived from tradition, and exercised through formal ordinances. The Lord says that they lie. The severity of this description should be well weighed; comment upon it is needless. All such will be caused to come and do homage before the feet of those whom they have despised and opposed, but whose way they have not been able to close. They “shall know that I have loved thee”. It is the assembly’s sweet portion and joy to be loved by Christ. He “loved the assembly and has delivered himself up for it, in order that he might sanctify it, purifying it by the washing of water by the word, that he might present the assembly to himself glorious, having no spot, or wrinkle, or any of such things; but that it might be holy and blameless”(Ephesians 5: 25 - 27).
“I come quickly”. People say, How could it be “quickly” when nearly 2000 years have intervened? Such do not understand the language of love. It was “quickly” to Him — ever near to His affections; and He would have it to be “quickly” to the affections of His saints. He would not have us to be, like those of old, counting long periods of prophetic days or years to His coming, but ever having it in our hearts as “quickly”.
The “crown” is the distinction and glory which saints have as cherishing Christ and His thoughts of the assembly. There is an unremitting effort to take it, and it is needful to “hold fast”. Religious literature is often very subtle and ensnaring, and many suffer more loss than they are aware of by reading it.
[p. 58] Keep yourself in the atmosphere of Scripture, and feed on spiritual ministry. I remember when newly converted coming to the conclusion that it was well to read the best that is available, and I commend this as a good principle to young believers.
There is an overcomer even in Philadelphia. Whatever character an assembly may have, overcoming is always individual. This requires individual energy in spiritual affections. It would be a very great privilege to walk with saints who had truly Philadelphian character, but we should have to recognize that each one who had this character was individually an overcomer. No matter how spiritual the persons may be with whom I walk, I can only have the Lord’s approbation and reward by being an overcomer myself. It requires individual overcomers to hold together in the love of the brethren the precious things which we have spoken of. And this is Philadelphia. It is a condition that can only be maintained in the energy of spiritual affections to which Christ is pre-eminent, and by which the assembly, and all that relates to it, is cherished because it is the subject of the love of Christ, and all is held in the love of the brethren. It is an exercise for us all — for all saints as to how far we have this character. But at any rate we can allow our desires to be formed by this precious utterance of our Lord, and we can pray that it may increasingly characterize us as seeking to walk with our brethren in truth and love.
The reward of the overcomer in this assembly is very precious. “He that overcomes, him will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more at all out; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the [p. 59] new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven, from my God, and my new name”. Notice the four-fold repetition of “My God”. It is the anointed and glorified Man who speaks, of whom it is written that “the head of Christ is God” (1 Corinthians 11: 3). His delight will be to make the overcomer a conspicuous and abiding ornament — like the Jachin and Boaz of Solomon’s temple — in that heavenly shrine where there is holy intelligence of the mind of God, and where “everything saith, Glory”. It is what the overcomer is morally now. As having found his strength in being established by God in Christ and anointed, he is marked by spiritual intelligence and stability. He stands firm in that holy temple where all is made known that is covered by the word “mystery” — so characteristic, in its different connections, of Paul’s ministry. He will have his abiding place as a pillar in that shrine where
“Radiant hosts for ever share
The unveiled mystery”. (74:7)
“And I will write upon him”. We are accustomed to think of Christ as the Apostle — the great Speaker — but He is also the great Writer. Saints are even now the epistle of Christ, and He is writing upon the fleshy tables of their hearts, in principle, what He will write upon the overcomer. “The name of my God”. It is God revealed — we may reverently say as Christ His beloved Son knows Him that is being written now in the affections of saints by the skilful hand of that Blessed One. What is spoken by Christ is the revelation presented objectively to men, but what is written by Him is the revelation made good in human hearts subjectively under the effective [p. 60] operation of His hand. It is written that it might be “known and read of all men” — that saints might appear before men as having the true knowledge of God in their hearts, because it has been written there by Christ. They thus become the tables of testimony here. The Name of His God will be written by Christ on the overcomer in his glorified state. He will display publicly in the overcomer those impressions of His God which as the great Writer He delights to imprint in a living and indelible way in the affections of His saints.
“And the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven, from my God”. God revealed as the Son knows Him must be, as it were, the first line of the divine writing; it is primary and fundamental. But the second line, if we may so say, is concerning the assembly. How Christ loves to write in the affections of His saints now what the assembly will be as the city of His God! The new and holy and heavenly vessel in which the glory of His God will be displayed! That city will be the pure and transparent shrine of divine glory in the world to come and throughout eternity. The overcomer will have its name written upon him by Christ; the renown and glory of the city of God will be read upon him in a peculiar and distinctive way. It is a wondrous honour to come even now under the impression from the hand of Christ of what the assembly is in her divine and heavenly dignity and glory. And do you not think that it is a peculiar satisfaction to Christ to find overcomers today on whose hearts He can write what the assembly is as the city of His God? While so many even true believers think hardly at all of the assembly, and [p. 61] so many in christendom connect the thought of the church with a great corrupt profession which is in God’s sight Babylon, it must be a pleasure to Christ to write — as it is indeed an honour to the overcomer who is counted worthy to have written upon him by Christ — what the assembly is in her true character and glory as the city of His God. The effulgence of all that God is, shining forth in the accomplishment of the purposes of His love in that city for which Abraham waited, and in which will be found the answer to every spiritual desire that was formed by divine working in the spirits of just men in ages past. They will find all that they longed for in that city, and though not forming part of it, their blessedness will be found in relation to it, “God having foreseen some better thing for us, that they should not be made perfect without us” (Hebrews 11: 40).
That city will come down out of heaven having the glory of God to be the connecting link between heaven and earth in the world to come, as we see in Revelation 21, and what it will be in displayed glory is what it is morally now. It is not future to the faith and affections and spiritual intelligence of the saints, for we are said to “have come ... to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12: 22). To do so must be to turn one’s back for ever on the corrupt city which is in evidence here, the city which is marked by the glory of man — Babylon!
“And my new name”. Christ has a Name of gracious power in relation to what is old. For example, “Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins”(Matthew 1: 21). “Him has God exalted by his right hand as leader and saviour, to give repentance to Israel and remission of sins” (Acts 5: 31). He can meet divinely all the need of fallen and sinful men, and it is His renown to do so. But that is not what is written on the overcomer; it is His “new name”; the renown that attaches to Him in relation to what is new! This book speaks of “new Jerusalem”, a “new heaven and a new earth”, “all things new”, Sin and death have come in here, and made things old, but Jesus has a Name in relation to what is entirely and eternally new. He has already brought in a company of brethren after His own order, and many sons for God, and He will be the Centre and Sun of a universe of bliss where no trace of evil will ever come. It is His distinctive glory to be the Accomplisher of all the Father’s eternal purposes of love. And when every trace of that which became old by the entrance of sin has passed away, the new, which had its origin in God’s purpose before the foundation of the world, will remain. And all that Christ is in relation to what will be eternally new is set forth in “My new name”. It will be written on the overcomer, so that it may be read in him in a distinctive way.
The epistle “to the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia” shews that the Lord contemplated a distinct revival at the end of the history of the assembly on earth. There was a measure of revival in Sardis, but it goes much farther in Philadelphia, and restores to those who have — through the Lord’s grace to them — “a little power” the precious spiritual features which marked the assembly at the beginning. There is individual faithfulness, but there is something more. There is a binding together in the love of the brethren. And I believe the grace of the Lord is active at the present moment to bring this about. It is [p. 63] the greatest comfort and encouragement to think of it.
It is open to all saints to consider that we have reached a time in which the Lord is moving, and the Spirit is speaking, with a view to things being found in Philadelphian character. In a day of much weakness it would ill become any saints to assume to have that character. It would be better to leave the determination of this to Him who says, “I know thy works”. But if we recognize that there is such a phase in church history as Philadelphia, coming in after Sardis and continuing to the rapture, it might well be our earnest prayer and purpose of heart that we might answer to what is said to that assembly.
If the Lord is moving to bring this about in His grace we may be sure that it is in love to all His saints, and that He would have all to appreciate His movements, and to follow them. It is for all saints to see that they do not lag behind in Sardis if the Lord is leading on to Philadelphia. For if we do not move with Him we may possibly fall into that last terrible phase which is set forth in Laodicea. Lukewarm and boastful, but with no place for Christ, and about to be spued out of His mouth.