An astonishing message for you!

When God has an important thing to say to a person or a group of people, He uses a method of delivery that is appropriate to the importance of His message. It is fascinating then that in the book of The Revelation, He says with great gravity, “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches” (Rev. 3:6). Having, thereby, established the identity of the author of these words, He says, “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things says He that is holy, He that is true, HE THAT HAS THE KEY OF DAVID, HE THAT OPENS, AND NO MAN SHUTS; AND SHUTS, AND NO MAN OPENS” (Rev.3: 7).

Here we have a very elaborate set of credentials which is given to us as a pronouncement of the Holy Spirit of God and then a Word to the sixth church of the book of The Revelation, an angel being a carrier of that Word. Revelation 3:6-7 establishes forever the titanic importance of the Word that is now being given to us. He says, “I know your works: behold, I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it: for you have a little strength, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name” (Rev.3:8).

Remember for just a moment that this message that comes to us through the sixth angel is an earnest Word to the Church whose coming is toward the ending of the day of grace. The Word is given to every believer in the whole world who constitutes the Church which is the Body of Christ. The church at Philadelphia is the church that has the responsibility of lifting the voice of God in the period that approaches the end of the Church Age and that is just before the Rapture. It is a great compliment, therefore, for Christ to say about that church, that it has “kept My word, and [has] not denied my name” (v. 8). It is, therefore, very impressive to hear Jesus say, “Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you” (Rev. 3:9).

These are awesome words for any church to hear. Nevertheless, because God uses men to accomplish His will, we should not be surprised but be very impressed with our responsibility. We are called upon to make known these words to a world in a very strategic hour in the Church.

In this special address to the Church of our time, Christ commissions believers to operate on the highest level of spiritual capability that there is. In delivering this commission, He also makes the promise that the Church will become the object of the adoration of the world. It will be delivered from temptation, it will be protected against every circumstance.

When we read that expression, “I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Rev.3:10), He was making, for believers, a very wonderful promise.

We can learn two significant facts from this. The first is that there will be an hour of temptation which will be worldwide and very trying to the population of earth. However, we believers will be kept from that awful hour, protected by the Lord Himself.

Here we have, once again, the promise of the Rapture of the Church. In a moment of time, before that great day of judgment comes upon the world, the Church will be instantly delivered and taken to heaven. Here we have something of a description of what the Apostle Paul says about the Rapture: “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (I Cor. 15:51-52).

We are also given a Word of admonition concerning that hour: “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which you have, that no man take your crown” (Rev. 3:11).

The warning is that as we approach that catastrophic hour in the history of the world, we will be the object of the desire of those who would have our credentials. The Scripture warns us of this saying, “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which you have, that no man take your crown” (v. 11). Therefore, we know that the Church will be the object of the opposition of the world as we move into the last days. Men will want to steal from Christians those virtues and credentials which are theirs for having believed the Gospel and served Christ well. We need to resist that opposition from the world and be the proper custodians of the message of the Gospel in these quickly passing hours.

What a wonderful promise then comes, “Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God: and I will write upon him My new name” (Rev. 3:12).

Here is an awesome prediction of the future and the sense in which Christians will participate in that future. We will live in the New Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven from God and we will be renamed by the Lord at that time. We have, in this message to the sixth church of the book of The Revelation a beautiful presentation of the joys of the future that will come to every Christian. In the Scripture, we find that we will live in the beautiful city of God, the New Jerusalem. We are told that we will be delivered from the Tribulation which will come upon the whole world. We will be welcomed with such a blessing from the love of Christ that the world will know that we are beloved of God. Then we will see fulfilled the promise, “He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son” (Rev. 21:7).

A reading of the entire book of The Revelation will simply expand on the marvelous promise given to us in the early chapters, the message to the seven churches. We will be in the midst of marvelous developments that will be wonderful beyond our imagination. So it is that the Scripture says, “EYE HAS NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NEITHER HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN, THE THINGS WHICH GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THEM THAT LOVE HIM” (I Cor. 2:9).

Why are we told these things by God, these details of the future? Surely it is because God wants us to understand and rejoice in advance in the beautiful destiny which is ours.

We are also to understand that our lives in these bodies of flesh and blood are but the minuscule prelude to the glory which will be ours in heaven. We are to have great expectations of that life which we shall live in the joys of eternity and the thousand happy related consequences of our faith that we will receive from the Lord.

If Christ were to come and physically visit our churches, what would He say? Surely, He would remind us that heaven is infinitely more wonderful than earth. Therefore, we ought to a greater degree than ever think about heaven, anticipate the joys of eternity, plan on what we will say when we meet Jesus face to face, articulate the language of heaven even now. Beyond that of which we could ever dream lies the glory of the world beyond. The biggest, brightest, most beautiful concepts of eternity are but sparks of reality compared to the infinite reaches of the real thing.

The promise also is that we will be kept “from the hour” of Tribulation. We, therefore, have no final worries and unsolvable problems in this world. God gave us His Word and promised safety and deliverance in dozens of ways to each one of us who are believers. This being the case, we must lay aside our fears and expand our hope and our anticipations. Heaven belongs to you and me and will be ours forever. Jesus makes all of this possible because He abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. Take a moment to thank Him today and one more moment to review your plans for the future. Heaven is ours and so is earth when we know Him.

From the writings of Dave Breese

WRITE OR CALL FOR DAVE'S 3-BOOKLET SERIES ON THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION.

SPECIAL NOW FOR $12.
Phone: 1-800-777-8806