Among the seven churches, Philadelphia is almost singular, for no fault is laid against it: of only one other can this be said, namely, Smyrna. Smyrna was suffering persecution and martyrdom, and if there were faults, the Lord does not mention them. Philadelphia had not the honor of martyrdom; there is nothing heroic in her record, yet she ranks in the same class; there were works, and the Lord says He knows them, but if He had not said this, we might not have been aware that she had any, so private, so modest, so undemonstrative her demeanor. The works are not set out and cataloged like those of Ephesus, but the Lord gives His assurance that to Him they are known, and that suffices her. This shows that God has His own principles of estimating. The faithfulness that would face the stake at another time may be called for and found in a quieter, humbler path between Sardis and Laodicea; morally between them, as well as chronologically. In Philadelphia there was not power for much, ‘Thou hast a little power;' but there was that which was precious to Him who had given them His word: they valued that word assiduously: “Thou hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.” And what is Philadelphia's reward—her present-time reward? An opened door: a door suited to her measure of power and character of work. There is a subtle linking between these five things—I know thy works: Behold I have set before thee an opened door which no one can shut: Because thou hast a little power: And hast kept my word: And hast not denied my name. Now it is Philadelphia's wisdom to know her place and her calling. To make a name and a display in the world is not her mission. If she attempt it, it will be a failure. The Lord is not going to set up the Church again. Outwardly the testimony is a failure, a failure full of disgrace, and never more so than to-day. Hers is the place to own with meekness the failure, but to keep His word with fidelity; and in doing so, her power is found; it is only a little power, but it is enough for her task. Her works may be small and despised; let it satisfy her heart that He says; ‘I know them:’ for His eye they are done, not for the applause of the world, and certainly not of the Church-world.
“Feeblest works, yet dear to Jesus,
Weary hearts that wait for Him,
Eyes that look upon the glory,
Till all else is dark and dim;
Midst the wreck, the desolation,
Where the glorious city stood,
Called to raise the lonely altar,
One last witness for their God.”
Works, then, are not the characteristic of Philadelphia, but—oh! blessed encouragement to diligence—her works are known, and known in the highest quarter.
“As He pronounces lastly on each deed
Of so touch fame, in Heaven expect thy meed.”
Another point about Philadelphia is her outside position. She is not of Thyatira, not of Sardis, not of Laodicea. In these circumstances she may he completely ignored—not recognized as having any place in the Christian economy. There is a formula her& which we find also in Smyrna— “Them of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews, and are not, but lie.” Smyrna was comforted against their persecution; Philadelphia has more: there comes a time when the great professing body will be forced to acknowledge the Philadelphians she had despised. “Behold I will cause that they shall come and shall do homage before thy feet, and shall know that I have loved thee.”
This might seem a triumph for Philadelphia, and so in truth it is, but it may also prove a more hazardous trial than any before, for flattery may succeed where persecution fails. Can Philadelphia stand in this new experience? It is very sweet—that even the Church-world is forced to acknowledge those that shad despised.
But the construction of this epistle seems to intimate that when this phase is reached, it may not be long before Philadelphia's path upon earth is concluded. THE NEXT THING THAT FOLLOWS IS THE COMING OF THE LORD: “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee out of the hour of temptation that is about to come upon the whole world to try them that dwell upon the earth. I come quickly: hold fast what thou hast that no one take thy crown.”
Note here that an hour of temptation or trial is appointed to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. The Lord declares that He will keep Philadelphia out of that hour; not from the trial, or through it, but out of the time of it: when this comes, Philadelphia will not be there. How will this be? Obviously the coming of the Lord will have translated the saints to heaven. Surely it is not irrelevant that immediately following upon this comes the declaration (the first time in Scripture) “I COME QUICKLY: hold fast what thou hast, that no one take thy crown.'' Is not this a word for us to-day? Some will be alive on earth when the Lord's coming occurs: suppose that it is we ourselves!
Three things spoken of in the Revelation, are, in people's minds, often confused, viz: The hour of temptation in Rev. 3:10; Great tribulation for Thyatira. Rev. 2:22; THE Great Tribulation, Rev. 7:14; 13:13, 17. Each of these is distinct. The third is last in point of time, and quite peculiar; that which will never have been in the world before, and never will be again (Matt. 24:21; Jer. 30:7; Dan. 12:1). It is, emphatically, “THE GREAT TRIBULATION.” Pre-eminently it falls upon the Jews, and is “the time of Jacob's trouble” (Jer. 30.) The center of it will probably be in Jerusalem where the abomination of desolation will be (Matt. 24:14; Rev. 13:14-17), but that the Great Tribulation will be confined to that land or that people, is, if we go by Scripture, a mistake. The Lord Himself states that a certain tribulation is so great that there never will have been such before, and never can be such again. If after this, Scripture tells us (Rev. 7:9-14) that a certain company out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues came out of The Great Tribulation, or, as it is more emphatically expressed in the original— “THE TRIBULATION, THE GREAT” surely we must bow to Scripture, and own that they did come out of the Great Tribulation, and let fall the theory for which no Scripture has been shown, that the Great Tribulation is confined to the land of the Jews. As, however, these Gentiles dune out of it, they must have been in it. Moreover, the whole tenor of prophecy coincides with these saved ones having part in the Great Tribulation; for that awful persecution is consequent upon men being required to acknowledge the Beast and worship his image. Now the sphere of the Beast's authority is not merely Israel and Palestine, but every tribe and people and tongue and nation (Rev. 13:7) and all who will not worship the image will be killed; and no one will be allowed either to buy or sell save he that has the mark of the Beast or the number of his name (Rev. 13:17). The gospel of the kingdom, too, is to be preached in the whole world (Matt. 14:14), and the fruit of that preaching is, we may suppose, this blessed, this countless multitude of saved souls. We see then this awful persecution marked off and standing by itself alone: it is the work of Satan, through his agent the Beast.
Now we come—tracing our way backwards—to Thyatira and the judgment threatened towards her. This is 'great tribulation:' but it is without the emphatic, distinguishing, double article—indeed without an article at all: still, minus the article, the words are the same, and we must remember that in the Revelation, there is not the change of a word without significance. The phrase bears with it an association of its awful employment which we have just been viewing. The explanation is that the judgment of Thyatira for her sins comes from the same Satanic source as the persecution of the faithful under the Beast. Thyatira of the Seven churches, becomes Babylon of the latter part of the Revelation. The ten horns and the Beast hate the whore; make her desolate and naked, and eat her flesh and burn her with fire. God uses them as His instruments of judgment. “God hath put in their hearts to fulfill His will” &c. (Rev. 17:16-18). Her tribulation is indeed great—it is ruthless, relentless destruction, and from the same hand as, but is not identical with THE Great Tribulation. The woman who rides upon the Beast must be destroyed, before the Beast's supremacy can be asserted. The Great Tribulation will then follow, for all who will not own and worship the Beast.
The third topic, ‘the Hour of Temptation,' is the most interesting to us, as being the nearest to us in point of time—for as already explained, we shall be removed from this scene before ‘the hour of temptation; ' but immediately that the Church is gone, this Satanic breath will spread its blasting influence over the world. There is an hour approaching most baneful to the world. But let us be clear as to what it is. It is temptation (πειρασμός) not suffering (θλιψις). In the Great Tribulation there will be keen and appalling suffering; extensive killing; a father will see a son haled to the guillotine (Rev. 20:4), or a wife her husband, a mother her children, or children their mother—taken away to die for their faith. Worse still, there will be a shaking of all human confidence; many will betray one another and hate one another; human affection will wither under the awful dominating sentiment of Satan-worship (Matt. 24:10; Rev. 13:4); whoever will not worship the image of the Beast will be killed: this may apply more especially to the land where the image is. But ALL, wherever they may be, will be required to receive a mark, the name of the Beast, or the number of his name; and no one will be allowed to buy or sell who has not this mark. But this is more than temptation: it is tribulation—well may it be named “THE TRIBULATION, THE GREAT.” What a privilege for the Church to be caught away into glory, prior to this! And blessed to know that there will be a multitude too numerous to number, who will pass as conquerors through that trial, awful as it is, and stand before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white, and with palms in their hands, ascribing salvation to God and to the Lamb (Rev. 7:9-12).
(To be continued)
[E. J.T.]