In the previous Note in this series we considered how it is one thing to endure trials in a general way, but another matter entirely to endure in order to be faithful to a commitment the Lord has entrusted to us. Because the church in Philadelphia had the latter kind of endurance, the Lord gave her the promise of a great reward, that of the pre-tribulation rapture (Rev. 3:10; see “The Word of My Endurance” • 1)

Before commending Philadelphia for its endurance, the Lord specifically mentioned three of her characteristics that had caused Him to put an “opened door” before her (Rev. 3:8). First, she had a little power, which we surely must have if we are to endure. Second, she had “kept His word,” which is a key aspect of enduring for the Lord. And finally, she had not denied His name.

As for keeping the Lord’s word, I appreciate Pember’s comment in this regard concerning Philadelphia:

[Her] little power has been shown in the fact, that she has not suffered herself to be carried away by any of the currents of the world: she has held fast to the Word of Christ, and has yielded neither to the traditions of men or philosophies nor to the Higher Criticisms of men. And, in the present day, how few the number of those who follow such a rule! Yet it is for this that the Lord loves Philadelphia, and will save her from the Hour of Trial.
— Great Prophecies, volume 4, pages 598-599.

This book was published in 1909, and since then, of course, the situation has only grown worse. How much those Christians who genuinely hold to the Bible as the infallible word of God; who are willing to believe all (not merely some) of what it says; who truly submit to it as their unique authority for revealing God’s truth—how these are despised by the world today! And yet, for those who do hold fast to the Lord’s word in such a time, with “a little power,” there shall be great reward, as the Lord’s promise to Philadelphia makes clear.

In the next Note in this series we will go on to consider the matter of not denying the Lord’s name.

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— 29 July 2023 —