Susan Davis: Deeper Meaning of the Bible… the church of PHILADELPHIA

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Deeper Meaning of the Bible…
Let’s look at the church of PHILADELPHIA, one of the seven churches in Revelation 3. This is the RAPTURED church. This church in Verse seven JESUS admits HIS love for it: I have loved thee. It does not deny HIS name…as the lukewarm church (see Deeper Meaning John vs. Peter). We see they are kept from the hour of temptation that comes on all the world, trying all those that dwell on the earth. What is this hour? It has to be the tribulation period, post rapture because it is a world-wide event. We have seen pockets of tribulation here and there up to this point–but this is a worldwide event. Only the rapture could trigger such a worldwide event as outlined in the Bible. Now we see that GOD keeps this church from this worldwide event. It comes to the whole world, but not to Philadelphia. This church overcomes the world in verse 12 and is given a permanent position in the city of GOD, the New Jerusalem and they receive a new name. What does it mean to be a pillar in the temple of GOD? It has to mean a position of prominence because a pillar in any building is one of the first things that goes up to support the rest of the building. A pillar has a key role in the structure of any building.
Now let’s look specifically at Verse 8 in which JESUS says this group has little strength. Does this mean they are a bunch of weaklings? NO, it means they are SMALL IN NUMBERS…it means that Philadelphia is a peculiar people among the whole world–the few–the little flock–the remnant. There aren’t many who want to go all the way down the NARROW PATH THAT FEW FIND. Despite the deception that there will be a great revival before the rapture, the scripture tells a different story: see my Facebook page: WHO IS CHRIST RETURNING FOR? https://www.facebook.com/whoischristreturningfor/
PHILADELPHIA: Revelation 3:7-12 (KJV):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 no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; 8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it:
FOR THOU HAS LITTLE STRENGTH,
and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 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. 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.
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. 12 Him that overcometh 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 cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Luke 12:32: Fear not, little flock; for it is your FATHER’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.