Two Churches Loved by God

There are only two churches in the opening chapters of the book of Revelation that are not rebuked by the Lord. The church at Smyrna and the church of Philadelphia are both encouraged and blessed by God. Smyrna is a poor church that is going to suffer martyrdom. Jesus does not hold anything against them. In their poverty, He calls them rich. These saints are rich in faith and ready to die for the Lamb of God who died for them. The Lord says this of His poor:

For He will deliver the needy when he cries, the poor also, and him who has no helper. He will spare the poor and needy, and will save the souls of the needy. He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; and precious shall be their blood in His sight. (Psalm 72:12-14)

The blood of His poor is precious in His sight. He doesn't promise to save their flesh, but He does promise to save their souls. Jesus will redeem the poor from their suffering, and He will set them on a high place in His kingdom where they will rejoice in all of the benefits of kingdom living. He will give them white robes and a special place beneath His altar until all of His martyrs have come to heaven. They will love not their own lives even to the death, and will be rewarded by their special proximity to the King of kings. Much of the last days church will resemble the church at Smyrna, which suffers tribulation, imprisonment and death, but precious is the blood of God's poor in His sight.When the anti-Christ comes to power, he will enter his position with words of peace and prosperity for everyone on earth. The anti-Christ comes into power with the release of the white horse in Revelation 6:1. The man on the white horse wears a crown of authority, and seems chaste and sincere. He carries a bow that has no arrows. He brings a false peace. He will appear kind and compassionate. Revelation 13:11 speaks of a second beast that comes up out of the earth that has two horns like a lamb but speaks like a dragon. He performs signs and wonders and causes fire to come down from heaven. This is the Jesus impersonator who acts like the Lamb of God, but speaks blasphemy and performs all kinds of false signs and lying wonders. He is called a beast because he has no humanity left in him. He will be cruel and unrelenting against the church. He is the false prophet who will breathe threats against Israel, but God will not let him touch the apple of His eye. Israel will be sealed by God, and no harm will come to the holy nation during the intense months of God's judgment which will be released after each of the seven blasts of the trumpet and when each of the seven bowls are poured out on the earth. During the days of the seven seals, however, many in Israel will suffer and die at the hands of the anti-Christ, as will many in the church of God. The Smyrna church of the final days is the church that has either been born again during the tribulation, or they are the ones who have been left behind and repented of those things which caused them to miss the rapture of the church.

The church of Philadelphia receives a special promise from God. The Lord says to them that "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth." (Revelation 3:10) The church of Philadelphia receives the only promise of the rapture. The church of Philadelphia is really composed of all of those saints who repent of the deeds committed by the other churches! The members of this church will not compromise the word of God, and they will persevere through the many trials and difficulties leading up to the rapture and the final judgments poured out upon the anti-Christ and the unbelieving nations. The church of Philadelphia is composed of those who overcome the problems Jesus describes in the second and third chapters of Revelation. The church of Philadelphia will separate themselves from the influence of Jezebel, refuse the doctrines of the Nicolaitans and of Balaam, and they will avoid those things that lead to sexual immorality. Most of all they will suffer persecution and hardship that will refine them like gold. They will seek the Lord passionately so that they can receive a Spirit of wisdom and revelation. They will perform sacrificial acts of obedience to the Lord, and remain hot, burning with unquenchable desire for their God. The name Philadelphia means "brotherly love," which characterizes the nature of the church, which will overflow with love for God and love for one another. Fervent love characterizes the church of Philadelphia, and any serious follower of Jesus wants to be included in their number. The wise virgins in the parable of the virgins are members of the church of Philadelphia. Their lamps will be full of oil and they will be caught up in the air with Jesus because they have made themselves ready.

The church of Philadelphia has no fear of man, nor are they influenced by the behavior of men. These are the people of God who search the word for themselves and refuse to water down the truth. These are the saints of God who like the prophets of old set their foreheads like flint and walk against the winds of doctrine that blow most of the church off course. Narrow is the road and few are those who find it. The Philadelphia church is a single-minded bunch who press ahead no matter what the rest of the church is doing. If the word of God says to wear a head covering, they will wear one even though nobody else is doing it. If the word tells them to sell everything and follow Jesus, they will sell everything and not look back. If the Lord sends them to a Muslim nation where they will be beheaded for their witness, they will enter the mission field with joy inexpressible and full of glory. Most of all, however, the church of Philadelphia is marked by love and all of its beautiful characteristics. Love will be the motive that will create in the heart a radical desire for obedience to the Father in all things. The church of Philadelphia is a lovesick bride who longs for her husband, and will do anything she can to hasten His return.

We must pray, dear saint of God. We must pray the very prayer Jesus exhorts us to pray. He tells us today with a great urgency in His voice: "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." (Luke 21:36) Does the desire to escape the hour of tribulation grip your heart? Do you want to be one of the wise virgins who are caught in the air with the rest of the church of Philadelphia? Watch! Search the word and learn to listen to the voice of God! Learn to discern the signs of the times. Grow hot in your desire for the things of God. Forget about the troubles in the world. They are merely the beginning of sorrows, the first contractions of birth pangs. Labor in prayer for the peace of Jerusalem and for the salvation of the world. Labor to become a fragrance of Christ in the earth, and you will hear the sniffing of the Holy Spirit around you as He prepares to transform your mortal body in the twinkling of an eye, because He loves the fragrance of those whose prayers rise like incense, whose prayers are filling the bowls of God's wrath even today.