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[THE MYSTERY OF THE SEVEN GOLDEN CANDLESTICKS, CONT.]

 

 

 

[Philadelphia]

 

The next church to which I wrote was in Philadelphia. This church represents that era out of which arose the great evangelical and missionary witness which has caused the gos­pel to be sent to many lands. It had its inception during the time that the Protestant churches had become virtually dead and ineffectual in their witness. Especially in the English speaking countries there was a turning to me by individuals and small groups of Christians seeking revival because of the desperately wicked conditions prevalent. I was faithful to hear their cry, even as my words indicate: 'These things says he that is holy, he that is true, he that has the key of David, he that opens and no man shuts; and shuts, and no man opens; I know your works: behold, I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it: for you have a little strength, and have kept my word, and have not denied my name.' (Rev. 3:7-8). I am presented as the one who is holy and true, because the emphasis was placed on holiness of life, and the presenting of the gospel of truth to the ends of the earth. Flaming evangelists arose calling sinners to repentance. Missionary societies of various kinds began to mushroom, and over a period of a number of years, thousands of missionaries went to heathen lands. Many movements arose placing the emphasis on the simple life of the New Testament in faith and order. Other movements arose plac­ing the emphasis on holiness, sanctification and separateness from the world.

 

Hand in hand with this spiritual resurgence, primarily in the English speaking world, went the advent of Britain and the United States to positions of world leadership. Thus tru­ly an open door was set before the church of the 19th cen­tury to present the gospel witness throughout the world. The two greatest Christian nations had both the opportunity and the means presented to them; for as the sovereign King, hav­ing the key of David, I pledged that no man would shut that door. During the era of the sixth church I gave the Christian peoples an unprecedented opportunity, an open door, to come into the fullness of that number, for on the sixth day I did create man, and said 'let him have dominion.' (Gen. 1:26). Even so, if my people had been willing to pay the price, spiritual dominion could have arisen throughout the earth, and the way prepared for a 20th century of righteousness and peace. But instead, the 20th century has seen two world wars, many smaller ones, and a third world war is now on the horizon. It has seen the beast of communism arise and enslave multitudes of people. It has seen the rapid de­cline of Britain and the United States in world leadership. It is now seeing the power of entrenched evil fasten itself upon the nations as never before; and the breakdown of law and order is a growing menace. It is seeing the rapid loss of individual liberties and the increasing control by expanding socialistic governments. It is seeing unprecedented moral breakdown on all levels of society. It is seeing the increas­ing deterioration of the organized churches into the practi­cal infidelity of liberalism and modernism. All this BECAUSE my people failed to avail themselves of the open door which I set before them and vigorously carry forth the commission to evangelize the nations.

 

NOW HEAR MY WORD! Because of the faithfulness of a small remnant which has kept my word, and has not denied my name, I will continue to keep this door open even unto the end of the age, and the gospel of the Kingdom will yet be preached in all nations for a witness before the end comes (Matt. 24:14). But because of the failure to carry forth the Word during the years when the way would have been relatively easy, the battle will now be hard fought with much opposition. Only at a great cost will the message now be carried to the ends of the earth, for the martyrs will be many as Satanic power in full fury arises to encompass the earth. And those who truly love me will have to give up most of their earthly wealth and possessions in order to re­main true to me and keep from receiving the mark of the beast in their foreheads and in their hands. (Rev. 13:16).

 

Now how, you say, can we fulfill your Word? Is not our strength small? (Rev. 3:8). Because of my secret strat­egy! Because spiritual power unprecedented will be avail­able when I suddenly translate the 144,000 firstfruits and commission them to uphold and guide my end-time Body on the earth, and when I pour out my Spirit in profusion in ful­fillment of the end-time Pentecost. And through the super­natural guidance of my glorified ones, and the anointed ministry of my chosen saints on earth, my Word shall go forth in power, accompanied by signs, wonders and miracles. So shall the true spirit of the Philadelphia church continue until the end, that a mighty harvest might be brought forth to me. Even as the apostate Roman church of the Thyatira per­iod continues to the end to be cast into a bed of tribulation (Rev. 2:22-23), and the dying Protestant churches which had their inception in the Sardis era continue, to be taken by surprise when I come as a thief (Rev. 3:3), so shall the faith­ful remnant represented by the Philadelphia church continue as a witness of my faithfulness until through them I have ac­complished the fulfillment of the open door that no man can shut. Those nations which seem to be shut to a vital gospel witness shall yet be penetrated with mighty revival.

 

After I have outpoured my Spirit on the prepared and waiting remnant, and a mighty revival begins to sweep across the earth, then shall the words be fulfilled: '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 your feet, and to know that I have loved you' (Rev. 3:9). One of the great phenomena of the end-time revival will be the turning of many Jews to me as their Messiah. This will be brought about by the unusual witness of those who have been especially prepared and com­missioned for a spirit-powered ministry that will convince and convict. Many who have been the Satan-impelled ene­mies of the cross and the Christian gospel will suddenly make an about face and become outspoken witnesses for the truth. They will come in humility and repentance, and in great contrition, and sit at the feet of those who are gathered to­gether in the spirit of the Philadelphia church, where the love of God is manifested in reality and power. Then they will be 'true Jews' indeed in the splrit of the New Covenant of faith, and the circumcision of the heart (Rom. 2:28-29). And they shall worship me in oneness of heart with those they had formerly despised.

To the faithful remnant, in the spirit of the Philadel­phia church, do I speak a further word: 'Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come on all the world, to try them that dwell on the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which you have, that no man take your crown.' (Rev. 3:10-11). This has a two-fold application. First, the 144,000 wise virgin firstfruits will be taken and translated into the heavenly realm just before the great hour of trial begins. They shall be redeemed from the earth to stand be­fore the Son of man, that they might be commissioned for duty among the saints yet on earth during the tribulation. (Luke 21:36, Rev. 14:4). Secondly, all those who faithfully keep my Word and put their complete trust in me, shall re­ceive my protection and guidance, that they be not confused, confounded, or harmed by the trying events and circumstances of the tribulation period. There will be those who will die for my name's sake that they might receive the martyr's re­ward, but only because they have willingly agreed to make such a sacrifice. But until their time comes they will be kept from all harm. The 'crown' mentioned is that which I have spoken of elsewhere. It corresponds to the prize of the high calling: those who will be received into the heavenly kingdom to rule and reign with me. Give diligence, there­fore, to make your calling and election sure (II Pet. 1:10).

 

Finally, in the Philadelphia letter, there is the sixth promise to the overcomers. 'Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which Is New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God: and I will write on him my new name' (Rev. 3:12). The temple which I am building is a spiritual one made of living stones (I Pet. 2:5, Ephes. 2:20-22). The stones are now being hewn and pre­pared, as each overcomer yields to the working of my Spirit in his or her life. I am the chief corner Stone of this temple which is to be filled with the fullness of the glory of God. This temple will be fitly joined together, first on earth, and then in the heavenlies. I am now moving by my Spirit to bring about the fulfillment of that which you read in the scriptures. The type of that which I am doing is portrayed in the events which led up to the construction of the physical temple under Solomon, You will notice that David prepared in abundance for the temple before his death, and he set masons to work to hew wrought stones for the building there­of. (See I Chron. 22:1-5). David's reign is a type of the Christian dispensation, even as the preceding reign of Saul is a type of the era of the law. Solomon's reign is a type of the Kingdom era which is now at hand. The temple was not actually joined together until Solomon began his reign, but the preparation was made in the reign of David by the gath­ering of the material and the hewing of the stones. The stones were prepared in the quarries before they were brought together at the building site. So perfect was the preparation that each stone fit in its proper place so that 'there was nei­ther hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house/ while it was in building’ (I Kings 6:7).

 

This is why, my people, I must do a perfecting work in your lives now, for as living stones in my temple you must be prepared to take your place in that which I have chosen for you. For before long I will begin to move mightily to join together the living stones as a mighty witness to my power and glory. Even as Solomon was anointed king before David's death, so does this portray the fact that there is an overlapping of dispensations. The Day of the Lord, or Solo­mon's reign, has its inception before the Christian dispensa­tion, or David's reign, is completely over. The overlapping period is signaled by the beginning of the blowing of the seven trumpets recorded in the book of Revelation. (Rev. 8:2). Historically this period had its inception during the years that the secret of the atom was being unlocked and more specifically when the first atomic bomb was exploded. But the actual joining together in power of my glorious temple does not take place until the blowing of the seventh trumpet when my secret strategy takes place and I pour out my Spirit in a second Pentecost.

What I join together on earth as a witness to my Glory, and to bring forth a mighty harvest as one age is closing and another is beginning, I will also join together in the heavenlies. For immediately following the great tribulation, a great host of overcomers will be joined to me in the heavenly King­dom, being united with one another and with the firstfruits who preceded them. (Rev. 14:2-4). This glorified body of saints will then be the means whereby I shall dwell in the midst of the people who are on the earth within the confines of the earthly Kingdom. For those in the earthly Kingdom will receive constant teaching, guidance and counsel from the glorified saints.

 

Because of the destiny of the overcoming saints, and their coming inheritance as joint heirs in the heavenly King­dom, being associated with all the heavenly retinue, I will write on them the name of my God, the name of the New Jerusalem, and my new name. (Rev. 3:12). The writing of these names has nothing to do with an outward inscription of any kind. They are expressive of Spirit impartations, mak­ing the recipients equal to that which is required for partici­pation in and fulfillment of their assigned positions. The ‘name of my God' must be written on the foreheads of all overcomers while yet in the flesh. It is their ‘sealing’ for the Spirit-powered ministry that is to come forth in my spir­itual temple or Body in this end time. (Rev. 7:3, 14:1). After the overcoming saints have been glorified they shall receive the name or power-potential necessary for them to dwell within the New Jerusalem, which will come down out of the upper heavens and be stationed in the stratosphere above the earth. This will then be the home and headquarters for the glorified saints, who will descend and ascend to and from the earth to carry out their duties. They will also re­ceive the power-potential of my new name, in order that they maybe fully equipped for the task of ruling and reigning with me. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.

 

[Next: LAODICEA]

 

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