Chapter 3:7.
We now come to the sixth stage, or epoch, of the history of Christendom. And whilst Popery and Protestantism still continue to the end, yet, in the address to Philadelphia we get a new display of the Spirit’s energy. In the midst of, and succeeding, that which had a name to live and was dead, the Lord Himself (not any ecclesiastical system) is presented as the object and center of attraction to the children of God. Yes, while Romanism and Protestantism are running their course of failure, there are those found whom the Lord can address as the angel, as representing the church.
May our eyes be opened to behold Him, and our ears to hear Him. Thus He speaks to us. “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.” You will notice, this is different from the revelation of Jesus as Judge, in the midst of the churches, in the first chapter. In the midst of all the failure of the church, He is revealed to us as He that is holy, He that is true. It is not the church, but Christ Himself. Are we occupied by, and attracted to, Him, or associated with that which is set aside? What a relief to get away from man, the spoiler, to Christ, the holy; from the modern Babel of confusion and falsehood, to Him that is true. Such is, in this stage, the action of the Holy Spirit to lead souls, not to ecclesiastical systems of religion, but to Christ Himself. Oh, are we attracted by the moral excellencies and glories of Christ? Are our hearts satisfied with Himself? What can we want beside?
The heart may be satisfied with this blessed revelation of Jesus Christ, in these last days of failure and declension. But, you may say, I am so perplexed with the present state of the house of God. What discord and divisions! What is he, and who is he, that can undertake the government of the present state of the church? Well, there is no emperor, king, prime minister, episcopal archbishop, pope, council, or conference, revealed to us in this address, in the sixth stage of the church’s history. Therefore we must conclude that to none of these is committed the governmental power to rule the church of God in these days which succeed the Reformation.
Truly, we need the revelation of the right Person to govern the church on earth in these last days. This is exactly what we have revealed. Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, was over the household. (2 Kings 18:1818And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder. (2 Kings 18:18).) “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant, Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah: and I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand.....And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open,” &c. (Isa. 22:20-2320And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: 21And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. 22And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. 23And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house. (Isaiah 22:20‑23).) Yes, the holy and the true is revealed to us, and the words spoken by the prophet to Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, are applied to Him in these last days of Christianity. Have we really understood this?
Have our eyes been taken off every human form of government and assumed authority over the house, to Christ Himself, the true Eliakim? Oh, how we pass over that which is of the utmost importance. Is not Christ over His own house? The key of government is on His shoulder. When all has failed, He faileth not. Thus is He revealed: oh, that in peace we may thus know Him, and own Him. If not, we shall either go with the crowd, or be utterly discouraged, in these days of human folly and division. He has all wisdom, and all power. His love and patience never fail. We cannot trust the church. We may trust Him for the government of His church, or of the few who desire in all things to be guided and governed by Him, as distinctly and implicitly as we own Him for our salvation. All is on His shoulder; all in His power. May our hearts evermore confide in Him. Surely this revelation of Jesus Christ is most precious to our souls.
And He says, “I know thy works.” Is not this enough, however misunderstood by the world or the church? What is the state of soul so precious to the Lord Himself in this day? Is it great display in religious activities? Is it great power and display in those He thus addresses? Is it because they have great power of miracles or preaching, as in the first stage of Christianity? No, He names not any of these things. He says, “Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.” How far do we answer to these three things? Are we conscious how little strength we have? Well do I remember a dear laborer of Christ saying—not, I am thankful I can preach to great crowds, and do great things—no, but, “I am thankful to find I cannot sometimes speak a word for Christ to souls I meet in the train, or elsewhere: thus I learn I have no strength; and if I do speak, it is Christ speaking by me.” And can we say, though all else seems gone, Yet we have the word? Jesus says, “My word.” Yes, Lord, we have Thy word. Oh, how the name of Jesus is denied in all kinds of ways. One was speaking of the mighty power of Christianity—one who would entirely ignore the divinity of Christ, and deny His atoning death. What a contrast to the state of soul here described. Well, there is the contrast between the mighty power of Christianity without Christ, and Christ in felt, confessed weakness. But we shall see more of this boasting in the last state of Christendom.
Jesus says, “My name.” Have you denied it, and taken some other name? or can you say, That precious name is all to me, and I am ashamed of every other? If this is so, He will not forget it.
Verse 9. Now Jesus lets us know that at this time, as in the second stage of the church’s history, there is a great increase of Satanic Judaism, or ritualism. He declares it all a falsehood, a lie. It is really appalling to see its rapid increase. He knows, and He says, “Behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.” All is in His hands, and nothing disturbs His peace, and His peace He gives to these weak and despised ones. All ritualism is that God may love them. May He open the eyes of many, and show them that the true spring of all acceptable service, is to know that He has loved thee. Yes, to know that He has loved me. Have you the blessed consciousness that Jesus speaks to you, when He says, “I have loved thee?” If you have not, what is all your pretended early holy communion? Is it not, as Jesus says, not communion with Him, but like those who “do lie?” It may be said, How uncharitable! Is Jesus uncharitable in telling us the truth?
Mark how intensely individual all this is. Can Jesus say to the reader, “Because THOU hast kept the word of my patience?” Oh, think of His patience during these centuries of confusion and folly. He waits the Father’s will, and then He comes to take us to Himself. How full is His word of this blessed hope. Are you keeping His word? Am I individually keeping His testimony in His patience? If so, He who speaks to me, says, “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?” “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it.” (Luke 19:4141And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, (Luke 19:41).) If Jesus wept as He thought of the near judgment of Jerusalem, ought not we to weep at the near judgment of Christendom? That judgment shall: as surely come, as the past judgment did on Jerusalem. And He will keep His word to every saint waiting for Him. He says it; that is enough for my soul.
Verse 11. And now He says, “Behold, I come quickly.” For the first time He thus speaks, in the days of Philadelphia. Oh, what words from His heart to thine and mine. His coming quickly is thus connected with, not keeping us through the world’s trial, but from it. Does He not know what His words mean? Yes, He will come quickly, and take us, all who are His, to meet Him in the air, and so shall we ever be with Him. If He is coming quickly, how would you desire to be found when He comes? Say, if it is to-day—for He quickly comes—how would you be found? Oh, what a purifying hope His words give: “Behold I come quickly.”
He now says, “Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” What have you got to hold fast? If you are only hoping to be saved, then plainly you have nothing to hold fast. Have you really the certainty that your sins are forgiven, for Christ’s sake; that you are justified from all things; that you have peace with God; that you are brought into favor in the Beloved that you are the object of the everlasting love of God; that you have the knowledge of His blessed will, in the midst of all the dark confusion of the last days; and all this, and much more, made known to you by the Holy Ghost dwelling in you? Then hold fast what God has given you, in His own sovereign love. Let no man take thy crown.
And again, it is not the assembly that over-cometh, but “him that overcometh.” We can only overcome as we lean on God, in these days of ever-increasing difficulty. But how suited the promises to the day in which we live. Do you say, Everything seems going to pieces, and the believer who would overcome seems shut out in isolation? He says, “Him.... will I make a pillar in the temple of my God.” Do you say, My heart is so deeply grieved with putting out and going out? He says, “and he shall go no more out.” How precious to the weary heart! No more excommunications, and no more evil, from which to separate.
Blessed scenes of everlasting purity—and so near. Oh, awake, my soul, and wait to see Him. All will be well.