Will you please turn to the book of Revelation? Revelation 3. We will read from Revelation 3:7-13.
I will read it first in English, and my brother will read it in Chinese.
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth and none shall shut, and that shutteth and none openeth:
I know thy works (behold, I have set before thee a door opened, which none can shut), that thou hast a little power, and didst keep My word, and didst not deny My name.
Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them that say they are Jews, and they 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.
Because thou didst keep the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, that hour which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.
He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out thence no more: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God, and Mine own new name.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
Let us have a further word of prayer.
Dear Lord, as we gather here together in Thy name, our hearts bow in worship. How we praise and thank Thee for Thy love for us. We thank Thee because Thou dost love us to the uttermost. It is because of Thy love that we are here this morning.
So we want to give Thee worship and praise this morning. We thank Thee because Thou hast promised us, “Where two or three are gathered together unto My name, there am I in the midst of them.”
Lord, there is nothing more precious to us than to have Thy presence with us. Who are we that Thou shouldst present Thyself with us? Lord, we just bow ourselves before Thee and worship Thee, bringing all praise and worship unto Thyself. Thou art the only One Who is worthy to be worshipped.
Dear Lord, as we wait upon Thee, may Thou speak directly to each and every one of us. Oh, Lord, we do not want to just hear it with our ears; we want to hear it with our hearts. We give our hearts over to Thee, Lord, and pray that Thou wilt speak and do Thy work in each and every one of us, that Thy will may be done and Thy name be exalted.
We pray in Thy precious name. Amen.
Thank God for gathering us together this morning. I often feel that whenever God’s people gather together, it is a clear indication of the love of God—how He wants to prepare us for His imminent return. He wants that, when He comes, we are all ready for Him. And I believe that is the reason for our gathering.
As I waited upon the Lord, I felt maybe it is of the Lord that we should share together on the two churches in the book of Revelation.
We know that when the Apostle John was exiled to the island of Patmos, there on the Lord’s Day, he was looking across the ocean, and he could look faintly at the outline of Asia Minor. There he had served before he was exiled. He could not help but think of their conditions.
As he was meditating, suddenly he heard a voice behind him. He turned back, and he saw seven golden lampstands. In the midst of the seven golden lampstands stood One like the Son of Man. There he was given a vision of the ministry of our Lord Jesus in heaven.
He was most familiar with the ministry of our Lord on earth, but there he was shown the ministry of the Lord in heaven—how He was the great High Priest, ministering unto His churches.
I think, brothers and sisters, we all know that unless we know the ministry of our Lord in heaven, we will not be able to live our Christian life. It is by His earthly life—what He had done on earth, how He fulfilled the work that God had sent Him to do, and how He cried out, “It is finished.” The work of redemption is finished.
But now you find He is in heaven. Now what is He doing there? He is there as our great High Priest. While He was on earth, He was the Apostle of God. He was sent by God to do a mission. While He is in heaven, He is our great High Priest, ministering unto us; and He is able to save each one of us who comes to Him, and to save us to the uttermost.
But, brothers and sisters, our Lord Jesus is not only ministering to individual believers. Here you find a vision of our Lord ministering to the churches.
Now, of course, we know the seven churches mentioned here were actual churches at the time of the first century. There were more than seven churches, because we know there were churches in Galatia and elsewhere.
But here you find our Lord has picked seven churches because these seven churches represent the general conditions of the church at the end of the first century. Yet the book of Revelation is a book of prophecy. Therefore, we know that these seven churches represent more than the actual conditions of the churches in the first century.
We find that these seven churches represent the whole church history through the centuries. I wonder if any one of you has read the book called The Orthodoxy of the Church, written by Watchman Nee.
I heard him while he was giving these messages. It was during wartime in China, about 1940. There were a number of assemblies around Chungking, and we gathered together for eight nights to listen to these messages.
It was in the wintertime. We did not have a meeting place as big as this one. We were meeting in a brother’s home, and that room was only able to accommodate forty people. Everybody just sat there tightly. At the back of the stairway, people were sitting there; outside the door, in the lane, people were sitting on benches.
And remember, it was winter. But thank God, you find brothers and sisters had such love for the Lord. Some sisters who were on the south mountain had to start walking in the afternoon. They had to walk down the mountain, cross the river, climb up to Chungking, and walk through the whole city to the highest point in Chungking. That was where we met.
Night after night, they came. When they returned, they had to use torches to go back. The next day they came again. So you can see how they loved the Word of God.
Then our brother gave these messages. He told us that these seven churches represent the whole church history, and you find one succeeded another. But when you read carefully, you find that the first three succeeded each other, one after another.
But when you read the last four churches, you find words such as, “I am coming,” and, “Hold fast,” and, “Wait until I return.” So, in other words, the last four churches represent the churches during the last days. Prophetically speaking, these four churches represent the churches to the end of the age.
Now, brothers and sisters, we know that the church in Thyatira represents the Roman Catholic system, and Sardis represents the Protestant system. So what is left? Philadelphia and Laodicea. In other words, outside of the Catholic and Protestant systems, you will find the general condition of the church is either Philadelphia or Laodicea.
My burden is to share with you on these two churches, that we may see where we are and what is the expectation of our Lord Jesus.
Here you find our Lord Jesus writing to the church in Philadelphia. Now, we all know that Philadelphia in Greek means brotherly love. So this church is noted for its brotherly love.
I have to confess that in recent years, as I look at the condition of the church, the more I feel there is some kind of misunderstanding of brotherly love. We misunderstand what is meant by brotherly love.
I find that among God’s people, how quickly they do love one another. But their love does not seem to come purely from God. You see, there is more of human nature behind it.
You know the word phileo is affection; it has the sense of friendship. And I find among God’s people there is more tendency toward a kind of friendship. In other words, it seems as if we love those who are of the same kind of nature or character as we are.
Our love seems to have a kind of condition. It seems as if we cannot love our brothers as God loves them. So I began to wonder: what exactly is brotherly love?
Now, it is true that the word phileo is affection; it is friendship. God’s love is agape. In other words, it is absolute. It is unconditional. It comes out of God Himself without considering our condition.
So more or less, we sometimes say phileo is human affection, and agape is God’s love. Now, it is true that brotherly love is phileo love. How can you see the difference?
When I was waiting upon the Lord, I felt that perhaps illustrations would enable us to understand it better. I feel that among God’s disciples, no one knew phileo love better than Peter—how he loved the Lord Jesus. His friendship with our Lord was unquestionable.
Even when our Lord Jesus said that He would go to Jerusalem and suffer, Peter would say, “Well, I will suffer with You. I am willing to die with You. Even if other disciples should flee away, certainly I will follow You to the end.”
But we all know what happened to him. When he was under testing, he did love himself more than our Lord.
But after the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, how our Lord restored him. He appeared to him alone, and then you find in John 21 how He restored him before his fellow disciples.
The Lord asked him a question: “Do you love Me more than these?” We know that the word love the Lord used was, “Do you love Me with absolute love above these things?” Peter had denied the Lord for fire and companionship.
And Peter, having learned his lesson, could only answer, “I am friendly, affectionate toward You. That is all.”
The Lord asked him the second time, “Do you love Me?” No comparison—just, “Do you love Me?” Again, it was agape. And Peter said, “I have affection.”
Then the Lord asked him the third time, “Do you love Me?” The Lord used the word phileo. You remember how Peter was grieved. He could not rise up to what he should be, but having learned his lesson, he could only humbly say, “Lord, You know.”
So you see that his phileo love had been disciplined. He was the one who knew what phileo love really is.
When you turn to 2 Peter 1, you find from 2 Peter 1:5 onward:
Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply virtue;
And in your virtue knowledge;
And in your knowledge self-control;
And in your self-control patience;
And in your patience godliness;
And in your godliness brotherly kindness;
And in your brotherly kindness love.
So, brothers and sisters, this is what brotherly love really is. In other words, it is a kind of affection, a friendship, but it is not based purely upon our natural affection. It is based upon our affection—our love—that has been disciplined and refined.
Only this kind of brotherly love is above prejudice. It is above selection. It can be general and toward all.
So, dear brothers and sisters, this is the way I feel about brotherly love. I feel there is much that we need to learn yet. Because if we love one another with our natural love and affection, we will find it causes many problems in the church. That is where parties come from.
But when we really let our love be refined through tribulation and through suffering, we will be able to really love our brothers as God loves them. Then we bring unity among God’s people.
So, dear brothers and sisters, this is Philadelphia. God wants His people to really love one another.
I discovered a verse in John 13. In John 13:34, our Lord said:
A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another;
Even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Here you find the Lord gave us a new commandment. He wants us to love one another in the way He has loved us. That is the way that we should love one another.
There is another verse in John 16:27:
For the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father.
So here you find even the Father has affection for us, because we have affection for our Lord. Even with this phileo love, there is a higher degree. This is the kind of love of brotherly love.
Thank God, this is Philadelphia. May we all rise above our natural love, having our natural love really disciplined, that we may really have brotherly love toward one another.
Then you find, at the head of each letter, the Lord introduces Himself first. He gives us a revelation of His own self, because His revelation is our testimony.
What is the testimony of the church? The testimony of the church is the revelation God gives to them. Whether we are faithful to our testimony depends upon whether we are true to the revelation God has given us of Christ.
So here you find our Lord gives a revelation of Himself to that church:
These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth and none shall shut, and that shutteth and none openeth.
Here you find our Lord reveals Himself to the church in Philadelphia as the Holy One. I think when you hear the word holy, you cannot help but think of Isaiah 6.
There you find Isaiah, when he went into the temple to pray, saw a vision of God upon the throne. The angels were crying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts.”
Our God is holy. Now, what do we mean by holy? Holy means He is separated. He is alone. He is all by Himself. There is nothing that can be like Him.
So here you find a revelation of Christ as God. He is the Holy One. Because He is holy, we must be holy. No one can see God without being holy.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we should see that our Lord Jesus is the Holy One. He is the exalted One. There is none like Him. He is our God; He is our worship.
And He is the truth. Now, what does it mean that He is the truth? You find in 2 Corinthians 1 that all the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ Jesus.
And He has the key of David. Now, of course, we know David was a king. So it seems to me that the key of David means the key to the kingdom of the heavens.
Our Lord Jesus came into this earth to bring out the kingdom of the heavens. He opens the door to that kingdom, and He calls all of us to enter into it.
Who can enter into the kingdom of heaven? The violent. You find in Matthew 11 that He says the violent seize upon it.
Now, in the Bible, violent is a very strong word. When the Chinese translated the Bible, they thought the word violent was too strong. It does not have a good connotation, so they tried to make it gentle. But in the original, it is the word violent.
Violence itself is neutral. Whether it is good or bad depends upon its connection. If you do violence to other people, that is bad. But if you do violence to yourself, that is commendable.
Our Lord Jesus, while He was on earth, was the most violent One toward Himself. Though He could do many things that nobody else could do, yet He said, “I cannot do anything but what I see My Father doing.” He could not say anything; He only said what He had heard His Father say.
He denied Himself to the uttermost, being obedient to the Father even unto death, yea, even the death of the cross.
So, dear brothers and sisters, He calls us to follow Him. We who believe in the Lord Jesus are all called to be His disciples, to learn of Him. This is one thing that He calls us to do: if we do violence to ourselves, in the sense of denying ourselves in order to obey God, that is the condition to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
He has already opened the door for us, and He calls us to enter it. So you find these revelations of our Lord Jesus were given to the church in Philadelphia.
One day, a brother asked me a question: “Is Philadelphia an ideal church?”
Now, brothers and sisters, as you read Philadelphia, what is your reaction? Do you think it is an ideal church? It is ideal. But if it is only an ideal church, then it is something you can see afar but cannot get hold of.
Brothers and sisters, it is ideal, but it is real. We find it in the early chapters of the book of Acts. We find it at the end of the first century. Why is it that we cannot find it today?
It is not merely an ideal one. It is one that God desires, and it is one that God works for. Unless we be Philadelphia, God’s heart is not satisfied.
So, dear brothers and sisters, the more you read Philadelphia, the more you are humbled by it.
The Lord said, “I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee an open door, which no man can shut, because thou hast a little power.”
Brothers and sisters, power is something that we are all seeking today. If you have great power, then you can do great things. But here you find the Lord said, “I know you have a little power.”
It is because the power that people are seeking today is the latent power of the soul. You know, when God created man, He gave man great power. Think of that. Adam, with Eve, was to take care of the garden. God commanded them not only to till but to guard the garden, because there was an enemy outside. Adam was supposed to be the wall of the garden of Eden. He had the power to do that.
After the failure of man, we find man’s latent power is under the influence of the enemy. The enemy tries to develop that latent power of man, because this is soul power. You find it in this world, whether in the political area or even in the religious area.
God’s way is the opposite. Even though our Lord Jesus was on earth as a man, He had latent power in Him; yet you find how He put down His latent power, and He only followed the power of the Holy Spirit.
So, brothers and sisters, today people are seeking for power. But we want to ask a question: what kind of power is it? Is it the latent power of the soul, or is it the power of the Holy Spirit?
You find in Zechariah 4:6:
Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
So, dear brothers and sisters, here you find this church. The Lord said, “You have a little power,” but this power is of the Holy Spirit. It does not come from man’s latent power. It is by that power that God will build His church.
And He said, “Thou hast kept My word.” Of course, we know the word refers to the Scriptures. All Scripture is God-breathed. Every word of God is the utterance of the Spirit.
Yet, brothers and sisters, how people today choose among God’s words. They do not follow the Word of God. But here you find Philadelphia: they follow, they keep, the Word of God.
Whatever the Word of God may be, even though it does not fit them or goes against them, yet they submit themselves to the Word of God. This is a characteristic of Philadelphia.
“And thou hast not denied My name.” What is the church?
For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.
This is the simplest definition of the church. The church is a place where two or three are gathered together unto His name—not under any other name, but under the name of the Lord Jesus.
Now, what do you mean by “unto My name”? It means you put yourself under Him. You take Him as your Head, and you are obedient to Him. So that is what the church is: the church is under the name of our Lord Jesus.
Hold fast the Head, and all the members will be united together and minister one to another.
As you read on, you find the Lord especially mentioned, “You have kept the word of My patience.”
Now, what do you mean by the word of His patience? In other words, our Lord is longsuffering. How He was patient while He was in the world. Even today, Jesus still suffers long. His longsuffering is our salvation.
Unless He suffered long for us, we would not be here this morning. That is the patience of God. And we need to keep the word of His patience.
This is not the time for us to be great. This is the time for us to be small. This is the time for us to be insignificant, not to be proud of ourselves. Because they keep the word of His patience, they live only for Him.
And what is the result? Then you find Revelation 3:10:
Because thou didst keep the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, that hour which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
I come quickly.
Here you find a special promise to the church in Philadelphia. The Lord said, “I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, which is about to come upon the whole habitable world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”
What does this point to? It points to the great tribulation. Brothers and sisters, even the world is thinking about it. The dark day is coming. Especially we Christians know that one day the great tribulation will come upon this earth. It is a tribulation that has never been seen before, for three years and a half.
But thank God, there is a special promise. Even before the time of trial, there will be a rapture, and those in Philadelphia will be raptured out of that time.
This is what you find in Revelation 12. There you find a vision. The woman represents the church in the last days, and there she was in travail.
Then you find a red dragon waiting before that woman. He was not interested in the woman, but he was interested in the man child. The woman had failed in her testimony; he had no power over her. But the man child would be the finish of Satan.
Now, brothers and sisters, the whole church is in travail to bring forth the overcomers. When the overcomers come forth, Satan tries to swallow the man child. But immediately the man child is raptured to the throne.
Of course, there are different interpretations. But here you find this child: as soon as it was born, it was raptured to the throne. Why? Because they have overcome. The headquarters of Satan is in the air, and these are able to get through that headquarters to welcome our Lord Jesus—to come from the throne to the clouds, and from the clouds to Mount Olivet.
So, dear brothers and sisters, this is a special promise to the church in Philadelphia. This is a special promise for those who overcome. They will be raptured out of the hour of trial.
The Lord said, “I come quickly.” So, dear brothers and sisters, again we want to emphasize that the church in Philadelphia is not just an ideal. It is an actual church. The Lord has made every provision for it to be fulfilled.
As usual, at the end of every letter, our Lord Jesus calls for overcomers. And those who overcome, He said:
He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out thence no more:
And I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God, and Mine own new name.
This is a promise to those who overcome, and this promise will be fulfilled during the kingdom age. But as you read, it seems that it goes even beyond the kingdom age, because it mentions the new Jerusalem, which appears in the new heaven and the new earth.
So what encouragement the Lord has given to us.
Finally, there is a call:
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
By the grace of God, brothers and sisters, may the Lord grant that we may be those who have ears to hear—not for ourselves, but for the glory of God.
Let us pray.
Dear Lord, we want to praise and thank Thee because Thou hast placed before us Philadelphia. Thou hast shown us that Philadelphia is Thy heart’s desire.
We pray that, by all the provisions and promises that Thou hast given to us, we may be what Thou wantest us to be, that Thy heart may be satisfied.
So we commit these words into Thy hand. No matter what our interpretation may be, Thou art looking for overcomers. Have mercy upon us. In Thy precious name. Amen.