REVELATION SIMPLIFIED Bible Study

REVELATION SIMPLIFIED

CHAPTER 3.9

Gleanings from the Book of Revelation:

A Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series

The

REVELATION TO JOHN

(The Apocalypse)

LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES

CHAPTER 3

The Letter to the Church at Philadelphia

(Continued)

OUTLINE

1. The Addressee – To whom the letter is addressed (3:7)

2. The Address – To where the letter is addressed (3:7)

3. The Addresser – From whom the letter is addressed (3:7)

4. The Approval – The acclamation of good qualities (3:8-10)

5. The Accusation – The presentation of bad qualities (None)

6. The Appeal – The application to change (3:11)

7. The Advice – The recommendation to change (3:12-13)

4. The Approval – The acclamation of good qualities

(Verse 9)

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 thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

(Verse 10)

Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

As Jesus walks among the lampstands in Chapters 2 and 3, He addresses the Philadelphian Church with encouragement because of their diligence to the Word of God, and for the works, they accomplished in His name. After pointing out their good qualities, their powerful faithfulness, love, and witness, He opens doors of opportunities no one can shut so that their light may continue shining brightly for the Gospel to be advanced in a dark world. This opportunity is supported by two promises unique to this church:

1. Their enemies will bow at their feet

2. They will be kept from the hour of temptation

1. Their enemies.

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 thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

The Christian walk is not always an easy one, as evidenced by the life of Christ on earth. Jesus warned of adversities and adversaries:

Mark 13:13; Luke 21:17 - And ye shall be hated of all men for My name's sake.

Consider some obstacles and hindrances placed in our path:

1. Those from God to test our faith

James 1:2-4 - My brethren, count it all (great, exceeding) joy when ye fall into divers (various) temptations; Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh patience (endurance). But let patience have her perfect (result) work, that ye may be perfect (mature) and entire (complete), wanting (lacking) nothing.

2. Those from Satan to destroy our faith

During the days of the early Church, people were pretending they were Jews, but were not, assaulting the church and thwarting the Gospel message to the pagan world.

When Jesus said:

Matthew 5:17 - Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

Jesus came as the embodiment of the Law and the Prophets. In Him, the Law was complete and fulfilled. We look to Jesus, not the Law, Judaism, or tradition, for salvation. The Judaizers inwardly hated Christianity and wanted to adhere to the Old Covenant and its practices. This was true with the Sanhedrin as evidenced in the rejection of their Messiah.

In identifying a true Jew, Paul explains:

Romans 2:29 - But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter (the Law); whose praise is not of men, but of God.

From the commencement of the church, many Israelites had accepted Christ and left the synagogue, however, there was a remnant, the same group of radicals disreputable in Smyrna, causing dissension. A true Jew knows Jesus as Messiah, one who identifies with Christ accepts the New Covenant (which is all-inclusive), and abandons the legality of the Law. Today they are identified as Messianic Jews.

Jesus singles out these fanatics. He identifies them as being from the Synagogue of Satan. In essence, Christ is saying this synagogue, not of God, will be defeated, humbled, and prostrate at their feet in repentance and respect – Victory in Jesus for Philadelphia as a result of their evangelistic efforts – All as an experiential demonstration of Christ’s love, referring to the cross.

2. They will be kept from the hour of temptation

(Verse 10)

Because thou hast kept the Word of My patience (perseverance), I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation (testing, tribulation), which shall come upon all the world, to try (test) them that dwell upon the earth.

A second promise to the Philadelphians is one of protection. Because of their observation, perseveration, steadfastness, and safeguarding His Word, God also promises to protect Philadelphia believers from the Tribulation that is coming upon the entire earth. The Great Tribulation Period will serve mankind as one last reminder of His love and omnipotence (power) to either reject or accept Jesus as personal Saviour. Every conceivable opportunity will be given:

1. By Judgments demonstrating the power of God (similar to the plagues of Egypt, only on a mega-scale [cf. Revelation 6, 8-9, 16])

2. By 144,000 evangelistic Jews to Israel (cf. Revelation 7:4)

3. By the two witnesses of Revelation 11

Question:

Will the true church go through the Tribulation?

Answer:

Jesus Christ just said, “I will keep thee from the hour.”

To Keep [Strong’s G5083] means to guard, protect or withhold. God is going to keep those believers from the hour about to come and that hour has a specific purpose.

God’s Timing

Since there is no time in infinity, God’s timetable on earth may be explained:

2 Peter 3:8 - But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand (plural of an uncertain infinity) years, and a thousand years as one day (literally a twenty-four-hour day or figuratively a period, age or years, defined by the context).

The Hour (literally or figuratively) of Tribulation is also known as the 70th Week of Daniel (cf. Daniel 9:24-27), the Time of Jacob’s Trouble cf. (Jeremiah 30:7), the (Great and Terrible) Day of The Lord (cf. Joel 2:31; Malachi 4:5), and the Great Tribulation Period (cf. Matthew 24:21; Revelation 7:14). When the Great Tribulation occurs, a worldwide holocaust will transpire.

Jeremiah 30:7a - Alas! for that day is great so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble.

There is a promise, however, for all believers:

Jeremiah 30:7b - But he shall be saved out of it.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 - For God hath not appointed us to wrath (punishment; God’s righteous indignation), but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

The Philadelphia Church period is upon us. There are a lot of faithful Christians attending small churches, even home churches, embracing the love of the brethren. They have a spiritual attitude producing good works, lifting up the name of Jesus, and having the sole desire to be obedient to God’s Word. Be it, Jew or Gentile, these believers will be delivered from God’s wrath during the Great Persecution. Consider the words of Christ in His prayer to the Father in Gethsemane:

John 17:15-16 - I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil [one] (masculine singular – the Devil, figuratively calamity). They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

2 Peter 2:9 - The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations (testing experience, tribulation), and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment (damnation judgment - i.e. the Great White Throne Judgment) to be punished.

End Times Speculation

On God’s calendar, He is very specific concerning the proceedings of end times. The events of Bible prophecy in the book of Revelation will come to pass as they did in all the fulfilled Messianic prophecies. For example, during the sixth trumpet judgment, certain calamities will transpire at a precise time:

Revelation 9:15 - And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

Verse 18 defines in detail: The third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone (sulfur).

Throughout the centuries man has always attempted to speculate the exact time the Lord will return but to no avail. Why? - Because He has not revealed it to us. His warning to us was to be watchful and ready. The Lord said:

Matthew 24:36 - But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.

Matthew 24:42 - Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Matthew 24:44 - Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Matthew 25:13 - Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Our assurance is that He will keep us from that hour of Tribulation. That is our Blessed Hope.

Titus 2:13 - Looking for that Blessed Hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

How Jesus will keep us from that hour will be discussed in a forthcoming study. In the next lesson, the application and recommendation to change will be discussed. More interesting promises continue to be revealed.

QUESTIONS:

1. Explain the term synagogue of Satan.

2. What will be the demise of this group?

3. What is the difference between trials and judgments?

4. Will Jews and Gentiles have separate conditions?

5. What is meant by the hour?

6. Who will be exempt from persecution?

7. When will the Great Tribulation take place?

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