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Revelation 3:10-13 – Philadelphia, Part 2

Rev 3:10 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.
Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Rev 3:12 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.
Rev 3:13  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Introduction

In our last study we saw that when the scriptures say that we have “not defiled our garments… will not have our name blotted out of the book of life… have not denied Christ’s faith… have not known the depths of Satan as we speak… will not be judged… will never die” etc., that the spirit is always speaking in spiritual terms and always means that if we endure these words while in these vessels of clay then we will not have to endure these words as resurrected spirit in the lake of fire.

Is there anyone who is never judged? Of course not. “If we will judge ourselves, we will not be judged.” However, “every man” must live out his own ‘fiery’ judgment.

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

Has anyone who has ever lived avoided death? Of course not. “He who lives and believes on me shall never die… Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”

It should be obvious that we must ‘live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God and keep every word of the prophecy of this book’ before any of the positive promises will be realized in that blessed and holy first resurrection. In other words, all our positive accomplishments must be of Christ and of His spirit within us, accomplished within us only after we have first failed to obey God and have first been made aware that we are capable of spiritually living out all the prohibitions of scripture. Another way of saying all of this is that these words are always spiritual words, speaking of spiritual realities:

Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

The fact that all men have defiled their garments, have had their names blotted out of the book of life, have denied Christ’s faith, have known the depths of Satan as we teach the blasphemous doctrines of Jezebel and Balaam, have the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, are being judged and are dying, is all treated as if it had never happened.

In other words, if we endure all these things and we are judged while we are in the flesh, then when we come to the time of the first resurrection, at the beginning of the thousand-year reign, we will be counted as never having had defiled garments, our names will not be blotted out of the book of life, we will have not denied Christ’s faith, not known the depths of Satan as we teach, not be judged and we will never die. We will be treated as if we had never had the mark of the beast. It matters not that we actually do live out all the negative words of scripture which are assigned to us because being in Babylon is part of being in Adam, and being in Adam necessitates that man must live by every word, both the good and the evil, which proceeds out of the mouth of God. This is how we are seen in the eyes of our judge, Jesus Christ:

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

The Truth is that every man “rich and poor, free and bond, small and great” is made to receive the mark, number, and name of the beast:

Rev 13:16  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17  And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

The sum of the Lord’s words are the Truth, and this is part of that ‘sum’:

Rev 15:1  And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
Rev 15:2  And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

That is how we are also to understand this verse.

Rev 3:10 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.

In other words, if we judge  ourselves in this present time, in this life, then we will not be judged when all them that dwell upon the earth are judged:

1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

What is “the word of my patience which we keep and which keeps us from ‘the hour of temptation which comes upon all the world?” Are we given to receive and keep the revelation of Jesus Christ? If we are given to do so then here is what we are told is “keeping the word of my patience:”

Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who [is] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Rev 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 13:9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
Rev 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

“Keeping the word of [Christ’s] patience” is the same as “keeping the things written therein [in the revelation of Jesus Christ within us].”

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

It is through acknowledging that all four of Daniel’s beasts are within us; that we are THE beast.

Ecc 3:18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
Ecc 3:19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
Ecc 3:20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

We have blasphemed his name and made war with and overcame His saints. “Here is the patience and faith of the saints.” Here, too, is the word of Christ’s faith. If we miss this point here is chapter 13 there is also this in the very next chapter:

Rev 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen [the great harlot and all of her daughters and all of their false, damnable doctrines], that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Rev 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Here it all is. “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” Here are those who have kept the word of Christ’s patience, and who will be kept from the hour of temptation.” It is those who have come out of Babylon, have drunk of the wine of her fornication, have worshiped the beast and his image and received the mark of his name, and it is those who have endured the wrath and God and whose smoke of their torment has gone up for ever and ever and who had no rest day or night while they worshiped the beast: Those are they who have “the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”

For any who still do not believe that the Lord’s elect do not endure the seven last plagues which fill up the wrath of God, the very next chapter, for the third time confirms that we must do so in this present time:

Rev 15:7  And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. [In the lives of “every man” (1Co 3:13)]

It should be obvious that the only way we can understand this promise to be kept from the hour of temptation, is in the same way we are meant to understand the promise that we “will not be judged” (1Co 11:31) and we “will never die” (Joh 11:26) and “we are not appointed to wrath” (1Th 5:9). Those things are all true only if we are given to “judge ourselves… in this present time”; ‘be crucified with and die daily’ in “this present time”, and have ‘the seven plagues of the seven angels’ poured out upon our ungodliness in “this present time”. Only then will we be glorified with Christ as “the manifest sons of God”:

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Joh 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

The fact that all the apostles who were living and who believed on Christ are now dead proves that the words ‘liveth’ and the word ‘die’ are neither speaking of physical life or physical death, but are both speaking of the temptations endured in Gehenna, the symbolic lake of fire by “all them that dwell upon the earth.” Those who “shall never die”, are also those who will also be kept from the hour of temptation. Just as those who “shall never die” are now “crucified with Christ but nevertheless are living,” even so are they are also now enduring the trial of their faith, so as to avoid “the hour of temptation” in “the lake of fire.” It is very instructive to know that the word ‘trial’ in Hebrews 11:36, and the word ‘temptation,’ in 1 Peter 1:6, are both translated from the single Greek word ‘piera’ and its verb form ‘pierazo.’

Heb 11:36 And others had trial [Greek: piera] of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

1Pe 1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations [Greek: pierasmos, an experience of evil]:
1Pe 1:7 That the trial [Greek: dokimion, test] of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried [Greek: dokimazo, tried, tested, and proven] with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

“The appearing of Jesus Christ” will be at the beginning of the thousand-year reign. The test of our faith is through manifold adverse experiences in “this present time” (Rom 8:18). It is not a test to show God anything. He already “knows our frame,” and He knows we cannot, of ourselves, pass any test. We are to ones who learn by the things we suffer. It is we who fail to see our own weaknesses and faults which are in need of being burned out of our lives.

Psa 103:13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
Psa 103:14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

‘Dust’ is a word that is associated with corruption, and God knows that it was He who made us, not of spirit, but of dust. We are not spirits having a physical experience as many false prophets teach. Rather we are dust having a spiritual experience:

Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Babylon wants you to believe that there is no possible way to “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Let no one ever convince you that you cannot “know the truth” and prove God’s will. That is a lie.

Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

The fact that we are even now being judged through fiery trials proves that it is only in the lake of fire that we “will not be judged:”

1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

The answer to Peter’s rhetorical question is, “The end of those who obey not the gospel of God, is to be judged at a later, less desirable judgment, called the great white throne judgment, and to be cast into “the lake of fire”, which “is the second death,” where mankind will have all the doctrines of Babylon burned out of them.” It is to this death, “the second death”, that Christ is referring when He tells Martha, “He that lives and believes on me will never die.”

So it is also with “keeping the word of Christ’s patience, and being kept from the hour of temptation.” If we are judged now for the fact that we have, in time past, all failed to “keep the word of Christ’s patience,” and if we “repent and do the first works”, then with our Savior, we will endure our “judgment [now] on the house of God” first and will be kept from the hour of temptation in the symbolic “lake of fire,” in the same manner that we judge ourselves and are therefore not judged and in the same manner that we fall into the ground and die, so that we “will never see death.” As always, the words of the spirit are counterintuitive to the natural man, and “He that hath and ear” will always be accused of foolishly contradicting himself.

1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

What is it that is “freely given to us of God?” The ministers of Babylon see only physical blessings, but the mind of the spirit sees only the words of God’s Word, and those words ”are spirit, and they are life”:

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Here is one of the greatest blessings we are given in those words which are spirit. It is “a token of our salvation.”

Php 1:28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
Php 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

Because you have kept the word of My patience…

Does “Because you have kept the word of My patience,” mean that we have never denied Christ and have always “kept the word of His patience?” As always this, too, is counterintuitive to the natural man. Here is another demonstration of how we are meant to understand every promise made to the angels of the seven churches:

Christ told all His disciples:

Mat 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Is this a true statement? Will Christ deny before His Father, those who deny Him? Yes, indeed it is a true statement, and Christ will certainly deny before His Father all who deny Him before men. Don’t all men deny Christ first, before they profess Christ in earnest? The answer is, yes, we all deny Christ before men long before we profess Him before men and long before we are willing to die for Christ and His word and His doctrines.

It was very shortly after those words “proceeded out of the mouth of” Christ from His Father, that this happened to the apostle Peter:

Mat 26:69 Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.
Mat 26:70 But he denied [Christ] before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.
Mat 26:71 And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.
Mat 26:72 And again he denied [Christ] with an oath, I do not know the man.
Mat 26:73 And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.
Mat 26:74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
Mat 26:75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

This is the old Peter, who was not “keeping the word of Christ’s patience and who was enduring ‘judgment [now] on the house of God’ so he “would not be judged” with those who obey not the gospel of God” in this present time”.  Peter and all of the disciples had denied Christ when “they all fled,” leaving Christ to His fate, to die alone upon the cross.

Mat 26:31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.

Mat 26:56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.

We are “all the disciples [who] forsake Him and flee,” when we first are confronted with the prospect of actually dying with Him, and for Him. We may later repent and “weep bitterly,” but we must all “live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Mat 4:4, Luk 4:4).

What this all means is that we first deny Christ and deny the word of His patience, before we follow in His steps and become willing to die for “the word of His patience.” What this all means is that we must first endure our own judgment, which is now on the house of God, and fail to be faithful before we can “Keep the word of our Lord’s patience and be kept from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”

“All the world,” certainly all men before Christ and it includes all men after Christ except for those few who are judged in this present time. Like Peter and all of Christ’s disciples, we deny Christ first before we “have not denied His name”:

Rev 2:13  I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

Rev 3:8 I know thy works: 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.

Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

How quick is “I come quickly?” If judgment begins with the house of God as Peter informs us, and if Christ has come, as He tells us “for judgment,” then His coming is the very day that He begins that judgment in our lives. Here again is the scripture which tells us when He is come to His elect:

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

“I come quickly” and “the time is at hand” are one and the same. Notice how this same phrase is repeatedly emphasized in the last chapter of this book of Revelation: These two phrases are always used in conjunction with impending judgment, which “must begin at the house of God.”

Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Now look at the use of the phrase “the time is at hand:”

Mat 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
Mat 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Mat 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Rev 1:3 Blessed [is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Rev 22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

The reason “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” is that the King of that kingdom is here with us now, as these verses declare:

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Php 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

2Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Christ in us is the goal of all God is doing. When Christ is in us, His Father is in us. In the end, God will be “all in all” so we are told:

1Co 15:28  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

1Pe 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

“The kingdom of God is within you… Christ is at hand… the Lord is at hand… the time is at hand… and the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” are one and all spiritual, is, was, and will be, words of spirit which will “never pass away.” They are all telling us that Christ is here with us, and in us now, at this time, and therefore “the end of all things is at hand” for all in whom Christ now dwells in these vessels of clay.

… Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

There are literally millions of false doctrines which will be used by God’s Adversary to cause us to doubt the words of scripture. It is given to only a  few to remain faithful to God’s Word in the face of all the “oppositions of science falsely so called,” and in the face of all the efforts of God’s Adversary to mold God’s word around our hearts’ idols. In Revelation 9 we are told that the locusts that come out of the bottomless pit are so numerous as to “darken the sun and the air.”

Rev 9:2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

We are plainly told that “the tail is the false prophet”, and we are told that the “false prophet teaches lies.”

Isa 9:15 The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.
Isa 9:16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.

Now notice the number of the tails of the symbolic horses of this ninth chapter of Revelation:

Rev 9:16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
Rev 9:17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
Rev 9:18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
Rev 9:19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.

It is “the false prophets who teach lies” who will “take our crown,” because our crowns are “golden crowns” which gold is God’s rare, precious, purified and valuable doctrines and His words. When God causes His Adversary to darken the light of His Sun in our lives, it is then that some “man has taken our crown.” “… Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”

Rev 3:12  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.

Let us look to the scriptures to understand what is meant by “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out:”

Here are the pillars we are discussing:

Exo 26:32 And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. [At the door to the holy of holies]

Exo 26:37 And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them. [At the door of the tabernacle… “the holy place”]

The four pillars of verse 32, are the pillars which hold the veil between the holy place and the holy of holies. The five pillars of verse 37 are the pillars at the door of the tabernacle. It is through these pillars we must all pass as we seek to come to God. There is no other way to get into the presence of God except through these pillars. So when the overcomers are promised “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out,” what we are being told is the message we are given in Romans 11:31:

Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

It is only through these five pillars at the door of the tabernacle and through the four pillars at the door of the holy of holies that any man will receive God’s mercy and come into the presence of God. Together they are nine pillars, and nine is the number in scripture which signifies judgment which is given through the Lord’s judges. Significance of the Number Nine

There can be no higher honor than to be “a pillar in the temple of my God, and go no more out.” We will “go no more out” because we are destined to receive the redemption of the purchased possession… that blessed and holy first resurrection.” That is the meaning of “go no more out.”

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance  until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

For more on the meaning of the four pillars between the holy of holies and the five pillars at the door of the tabernacle, be sure to read the study on The Spiritual Significance of the Color Blue on iswasandwillbe at this link: Significance of the Color Blue, Part 1

“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”.

There are those who make a virtual religion out of pronouncing the tetragrammaton exactly right. The ‘tetragrammaton’ is a name which scholars have given to the four Hebrew consonants which are said to be the “true name of God. Those four consonants are YHWH. While Yahweh, seems to be the most widely accepted form of arranging the vowels in that name, the fact of the matter is that there is no way to know for certain which vowels to place where when we attempt to pronounce the tetragrammaton, because the Jews were forbidden to use God’s name and so they made a religion out of never saying God’s name and never supplying the vowels in transcribing the tetragrammaton:

Jer 44:26 Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the LORD, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord GOD liveth.

The proper spelling of or the pronunciation of the tetragrammaton is NOT what God was talking about in Jeremiah 44:26, and it certainly is not what He is speaking of in this verse:

Isa 52:5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.

God’s name is not a word, but a reputation. He says so himself:

Pro 22:1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

Ecc 7:1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

Neither “a good name” nor God’s name has anything whatsoever to do with the vocalization of a literal name. God’s name, like any “good name,” is a matter of reputation. Does anyone in their right mind think Paul is referring to the proper pronunciation of the tetragrammaton in these verses?

Rom 2:23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
Rom 2:24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

It is our sins, rebellions and through breaking the law of the spirit, that we dishonor God and blaspheme His name among the Gentiles. It has nothing to do with how we vocalize the so-called tetragrammaton.

Likewise, “The name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, and my new name” have nothing at all to do with properly pronouncing and properly vocalizing or properly spelling a literal name. Again, they who are Christ’s have the name of being Christ’s by the way they lead their lives, and by how much their ways reflect His ways. That is how we attain “the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, and my new name.” As always, the scriptures are Christ-centric, and any way you say it, it will aways come out to be Jesus Christ. When we honor Christ, we are honoring His Father.

Joh 5:23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

It is the name of Jesus which is above every name that is named, and it is His name that is our “new name.”

Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly [places],
Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Eph 1:22 And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the head over all [things] to the church,
Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Rev 3:13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Conclusion

We have seen that the way we “keep the word of Christ’s patience” is to “keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” We have seen that it is only those who have endured God’s wrath being poured out upon all their ungodliness and unrighteousness, who have “kept the word of Christ’s faith.”

We have seen that we are “kept from the hour of temptation” in the exact same way we are kept from judgment and will never die. The way we will never die is to die now, the way we will not be judged is to judge ourselves now, and the only way we make make certain that we will be kept from the hour of temptation is to be tried and tempted now, while yet in these vessels of clay, better known as sinful flesh and blood.

We have seen that Christ comes quickly to every generation of mankind since His death and resurrection, and that the time is always ‘at hand’, to repent and to ‘keep the things which are written in the prophecy of this book’.

We saw the scriptures which demonstrated that it is the false prophets who prophecy lies who are used as God’s Adversaries to “take our crown” from us. We have seen that being made a pillar in the temple of God is the same as being made the door or the channel through which all men will be brought to God, and that there can be no higher blessing bestowed upon any man.

Finally we saw that the blaspheming of the name of God is the result of our hypocrisy. It is not a matter of improperly mouthing four letters with the proper vowels, but is rather a way of life which dishonors God while claiming to be His children. Contrariwise, having His name written upon us is also a matter only of having Christ within us as our spiritual Father, and as the king on the throne of our hearts and minds.

Next week, Lord willing, we will begin to see what the spirit has to say to the angel of the church in Laodicea:

Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

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Revelation 3:7-9 Philadelphia, Part 1

Updated November 29, 2023

Rev 3:7  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;
Rev 3:8  I know thy works: 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.
Rev 3:9  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.

Introduction

There are two messages of the spirit to the seven angels, in which “he that hath and ear” will hear of nothing negative. The first was the message of the spirit to the angel of the church of Smyrna, and the second is this angel, the angel of the church of Philadelphia.

The message we covered in the last study was to the angel of the church of Sardis. The spirit told the angel of the church of Sardis that even though it had a name that it lived, in actual fact the angel of the church of Sardis is spiritually dead:

Rev 3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

The angel of the church at Thyatira was tolerating the teachings of the doctrines of Jezebel, and had come to know the depths of Satan, in his speaking.

Rev 2:18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet [are] like fine brass;

Rev 2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

Rev 2:24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.

The angel of the church of Pergamos dwells where Satan’s very throne is, has the doctrines of Balaam and the doctrines of the Nicholaitans.

Rev 2:13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas [was] my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
Rev 2:15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

The angel of the church at Ephesus has “left his first love.”

Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Why would the angel of the church in Smyrna or Philadelphia need to hear what the spirit has to say to the other five angels? The answer, once again, is that these angels are all within “he that has an ear to hear… he that reads… and he that keeps the things written therein.” So we are seven times told:

Rev 2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Also, let us never forget the first and last admonition of this prophecy:

Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things [to all seven churches] which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

So “the time is at hand to read, hear and keep these words.”

Rev 3:7  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;

“He that is holy and true,” Christ, has “the key of David.” It is with this “key of David” that he that is holy and true, “opens and no man shuts,” and it is with this “key of David” that He who is holy and true “shuts and no man opens.” What could this “key of David possibly be? What does this “key of David” open and shut?

The very next verse tells us:

Rev 3:8  I know thy works: 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.

Apparently this ‘key of David’ opens a door that “no man can shut,” but we were just told that it also “shuts and no man opens.” So while verse 8 tells us that “he that hath and ear,” has been given an “open door that no man can shut,” let us not fail to see that this same “key of David” also serves to shut that same door so that no man can open it. What then is this key, and what is this door? What do the scriptures teach us concerning this “key of David,” and what do the scriptures tell us is this door?

In the World Wide Church of God, a church in which I and many others spent some time, we were told that this “key of David” was the understanding of the doctrine of British Israelism. I actually believed that lie for about a whole decade. However, if we were to believe that doctrine, or any of the dispensational doctrines which now permeate the orthodox Christian world, what then would we do with “This generation will not pass away until all these things shall be fulfilled?” Dispensationalism, in all of its various forms, nullifies those words of Christ and make Him nothing more than a common liar. There was no United States or British Commonwealth in the first century A. D. Nor did such things exist until the colonies revolted against the crown in 1776 A.D.

Remember this book of Revelation, like the parables of Christ,  is a book of signs and symbols. After all, this is Christ speaking “unto His servants… signified… unto His servant John:”

Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and sign ified it by his angel unto his servant John:

This “key of David… must shortly come to pass,” means it is “even at the door… [and] this generation will not pass till all these things shall be fulfilled.” So whatever this key and this door are, they are both fulfilled in the life of “he that hath an ear” in every generation since Christ.

Mat 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

These are words which took place in that generation and are taking place in this generation and have “never passed away.”

The force of this particular symbol is taken from Isaiah 22 where the corrupt keeper of the house of David, one Shebna, is prophesied to be replaced by Eliakim, a man who is faithful to God and His people. All those with eyes that see and ears that hear know that these two men represent and signify and symbolize the same two men we see through out all of God’s Word. They are but types and shadows of the first and the last Adam. They are but types and shadows of the old man, Adam and the ‘new Adam,’ Christ. Where do we find the old man, the first Adam, in this prophecy?

Isa 22:15 Thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say,
Isa 22:16 What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?
Isa 22:17 Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee.

Shebna had the key to the house of David, and he is, in effect, being told that the key to the house of David, would be taken from him and given to another who would be “faithful in all his house.”

Isa 22:19 And I will drive thee [Shebna] from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.
Isa 22:20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:
Isa 22:21 And 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.
Isa 22:22 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.

So now we know through the principle of “the sum of thy word” and the principle of “line upon line and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little,” that the “key of David [which] opens and no man shuts, and shuts and no man opens” is actually the “key of the house of David.”

There has always been much speculation about what is this “key of David” here in Revelation 3:7. The commentaries note Isaiah 22 and conclude that is was a literal key which was carried on a shoulder strap by the man whom King David and his successors placed “over the house.” ‘Over the house’ means over the affairs of the house of David. It was the highest honor that could be bestowed on anyone in the kingdom to be placed next to the king, “over the house” and have “the key of David.” Many of the commentaries even note that Christ ascribes this key to Himself in Revelation 3:7. That is as far as their understanding goes.

The only thing we need to ask now is what is “the house of David?” The literal, physical “house of David,” regardless of the teachings of the false doctrine of British Israelism, is no longer to be found, any more than there is now a physical priest offering physical “sacrifices unto God.”

Jer 33:17 For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;
Jer 33:18 Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.

If this is a physical statement, where are “the priests the Levites… offering burnt offerings… doing sacrifice continually” today? Where are they??? If there are no physical priests, physically offering sacrifices” then neither is there a physical throne, not in England nor in Israel. So much for the dispensational approach to “Words which never pass away.”

So what do the scriptures tell us constitutes the true “house of David” or “tabernacle of David?” Here is the true “house of David” to which the “key of David” will either open up to us or else shut us out:

Act 15:13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:
Act 15:14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
Act 15:15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
Act 15:16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
Act 15:17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.

There is “the tabernacle of David.” There is “the house of David.” That is where are “the residue of men… and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called.” So says the apostle James. That is what is meant by “he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth.” No man can shut Christ out of those to whom He comes, and no man can come to God except the spirit drag him.

Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw [Greek: helkuo, drag] him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Rom 9:17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Rom 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

How humbling and humiliating to our flesh is the Word of God!

Who is sitting on the throne of that tabernacle? Who is sitting on the throne of the house of David? It is “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.” It is Jesus Christ, and according to Isaiah 22, He gives that key to “the keeper of His house.” He gives “the key of David” to His elect who make up that house, who are “seated with Him in the heavens” and who constitute His priesthood “to offer sacrifices before him continually:”

1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Eph 2:6 And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:

Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

The ‘key of David’ is “the keys to the kingdom of heaven… the kingdom of God”, and comparing Matthew 16:19 with Matthew 18:18 we see that this key and these keys are given to all who are in Christ:

Mat 16:19  And I will give unto thee [Peter] the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Mat 18:18  Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye [the twelve] shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Christ both has “the key of David” and He is the key of David, because He is both the key and the door in which the key fits:

Joh 10:7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
Joh 10:8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
Joh 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

The natural man will reason that Christ cannot be both the shepherd of the sheep and the door through which the shepherd enters into the sheepfold. However, Christ so identifies with us as His body that He has no such qualms. In us, He sees Himself as the shepherd of the sheep, the sheep themselves and the door through which the shepherd must pass to enter into the sheepfold.

Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

In keeping with what James says in Acts 15, Christ taught the same doctrine. He is not only “the tabernacle of David,” but He is also both the door of the sheepfold and “the good shepherd” who enters by that door:

Joh 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
Joh 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

“The house of David… the tabernacle of David… the sheepfold… the door of the sheepfold… The keys to the kingdom of God, the key of the house of David, and the key of David,” are one and all Christ and His Christ.” He is the light of the world, and we are the light of the world (Joh 8:12 and Mat 5:14). He is the bread sent down from heaven, and we are one bread (Joh 6:51, 1Co 10:17). As His Father has sent Him, even so He has sent us (Joh 20:21). As he is, so are we in this world (1Jo 4:17). He is the Word, and if His Word is in us, we are His word (Jer 5:14). He is not ashamed to call us His brothers (Heb 2:11).

1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Heb 2:11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

For thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

What do we have here? Is this an admonition to have more strength? That is what many of the commentaries will tell you, and we certainly are told to “be strong in the Lord.”

Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Is it not possible to be “of little strength” and at the same time, be strong in the Lord? Once again, that which seems so contradictory to the mind of the natural man is exactly what the spirit tells us:

2Co 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

How does that work? It works as all things spiritual work. The natural man cannot receive the things of the spirit because they are foolishness to Him.

1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The natural man cannot receive the things of the spirit because the spirit requires the death of the natural man. It is only when the natural man sees himself as dead that the spirit can live. It is only when the natural man sees himself as chief of sinners that the spirit can be saved, and it is only when we see ourselves as weak and of little strength that we are strong in the spirit of Christ. It is only when we have been humbled and crushed to powder and made to feel so very small that the spirit can come into our lives and give us the needed strength to do His Work. Here is what the spirit has to say about “little things.”

Zec 4:10  For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Just look at what is promised to those who “have a little strength:”

Rev 3:9  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.

Who are those who are “of the synagogue of Satan?” It is those who “say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie.” The whole world is blind to the spiritual truth of this one verse and the many others which confirm this verse:

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

Who then is a true Jew? Here is what “the natural man cannot receive.”

Rom 2:29  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

The whole world denies the truth of these verses, and those who declare them as true are despised and rejected by those who actually call themselves God’s spiritual Jews. That’s exactly right. The orthodox Christian world claims to be spiritual Jews, and with the same breath they declare “he which is a Jew outwardly” is also a Jew. God has blinded the eyes of the whole world to the words “he is NOT a Jew which is one outwardly.” The one thing that is consistent about the natural man is that He never denies the flesh a place in the kingdom of God, and that is in spite of this very plain and simple Truth:

1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

How will “they of the synagogue of Satan…come and worship before thy feet?” They will do so in great torment of figurative flames of fire, believing, as Joseph’s brothers believed, that their own lives are at stake. This whole scenario, as many of the mysteries of the book of Revelation, is prefigured for us in the book of Genesis, where Joseph is God’s type and shadow of His elect, whose own brothers must be made to see that their father loves his elect Son.. The “synagogue of Satan” is typified by the rejected “seed of Abraham” who persecute and seek to destroy the elect and chosen “seed of Abraham.”

Gen 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
Gen 37:4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him [I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.].
Gen 37:5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
Gen 37:6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
Gen 37:7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
Gen 37:8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
Gen 37:9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
Gen 37:10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?

That’s right! Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were mere carnal types of Christ, just as physical Israel is but a carnal type of God’s elect. The spiritual, true “father of the faithful” is the true ‘Abraham’ who will be “in the kingdom, while the physical Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will “come to bow themselves to thee to the ground.” Who is the true “father of the faithful?” Is it the Abraham of the Old Testament? What do the scriptures teach us?

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Christ is “the everlasting Father,” but is He really also Abraham?

Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

“Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?” The answer is yes, Jacob and Rachel, Abraham and Isaac will come and bow down to Christ and His elect, who are typified by Joseph, and they will all come “to know that God has loved us” above all our brothers, who say “they are Jews but are not, but do lie.”

1Pe 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

That is another “NOT” which cannot be seen by the natural man, nor by those who are of “the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews but are not, but do lie.” To all of this the writer of Hebrews agrees:

Heb 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
Heb 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

The “better things” of this verse are the same “things which are now reported unto you… the salvation of which the prophets inquired [to which prophets] it was revealed that not to themselves, but to us they did minister…”

The apostle Paul gives us the same message:

1Co 10:11 Now all this befalls them typically. Yet it was written for our admonition, to whom the consummations of the eons have attained. (CLV).

The King James puts it this way:

1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples [Greek: tupos, types]: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

The ends of the ages, or as the Concordant Version puts it, “the consummation of the eons” are come upon us, not on those who typify us in the Old Testament. So Joseph’s father and His mother will not be in the first resurrection, and for that matter, neither will Joseph because Christ said this:

Luk 7:28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

According to our Lord, John the Baptist was as great as Noah or Job or Daniel or King David or any of the prophets. He goes on to say that “He that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than any of the Old Testament patriarchs, kings or prophets or any man “born of women” to that time. All of these verses tell us that the coming of Christ was a time or reformation, at which the Truth about mankind’s relationship with God, and how that relationship was to be attained, was finally and for the very first time revealed as a spiritual relationship. Here is how our Lord Himself worded this wonderful new revelation of Himself and His relationship with us and with His Father:

Joh 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

When is that hour? Is this a dispensational statement, or is this a spiritual statement which would never pass away?

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

There is no article in the Greek. It is simply “God spirit,” and should read ‘God is spirit…” Add to this John 6:63, and we have a much clearer picture of what constitutes “spirit and truth.”

Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

So much for the dispensational approach to the Word of God, and so much for the doctrine of a fleshly ‘bodily resurrection.’ It is never to be.

Conclusion

We have seen again that all the messages to all seven of the churches are really all to “he that hath an ear.” We have seen in the scriptures that Christ is both the key of David, and He gives Himself, as that key, to His elect to whom he gives charge of “the house of David.” We saw that the apostle James informed us that “the tabernacle of David” is Christ coming in His own body, comprised of both Jews and Gentiles, and we saw that the only way God will recognize us as being Jews is if we are in Christ. Anything else, including those who really are outward Jews, “is not a Jew” in the eyes of Jesus Christ.

We have seen that having little strength is the only way to be strong in Christ, and that we must never “despise the days of small things” because that is what the scattered flock of Christ is, was and always will be.

Finally, we saw that the only person who is a Jew in Christ’s eyes is the person who is in Christ, and that being an outward Jew alone is to be “NOT a Jew.” We have seen the scriptures which reveal that physical Jerusalem is no longer relevant to the worship of the one and only True God. We saw the scriptures which reveal that the physical pedigrees of all of the Old Testament patriarch, kings and prophets “profit nothing” and that the only way now to worship God is in the spirit and truth, which are Christ and His Word. “Spirit and truth” are the words Christ has spoken, and it is impossible to worship God outside of knowing Christ and living His words.

In the next study, Lord willing, we will learn what is “the word of Christ’s patience,” and how we must “keep the word of Christ’s patience,” and how that ties in with being “kept from the hour of temptation…”

Rev 3:10 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.