Thru the Bible

Steve Schwetz: Welcome to Thru the Bible. I'm Steve Schwetz, your host. In this study, our teacher Dr. J. Vernon McGee is going to tell us about a church that was true to the word of God. He'll begin in Revelation chapter three, verse seven. It's an amazing section of Scripture, one that Dr. McGee loved so much that it became the theme verse for Thru the Bible's ministry and outreach.

So grab your Bible and open it to the very last book. While you do, I want to share a couple of letters from fellow listeners who, like all of us, have benefited from studying God's word on the Bible Bus. First, we hear from Madeleine in North Carolina:

"I placed Bible Bus passes in my Christmas cards last year and since then I have taken the opportunity to share passes with friends. Recently I shared one with a couple whose son has leukemia. I also shared one with his grandma. I don't know if anyone is responding, but I am flinging the seeds. Thank you so much for all you do to keep the Bible Bus rolling. I am finishing my fifth year on the bus. My husband hopped on with Daniel and now he's hooked. I'm on the World Prayer Team and have learned where many countries are and I love hearing the stories of how people came to faith.

You have given me a heart for other believers. Hearing how the Lord finds us even though we aren't really looking for him overwhelms me. What an amazing God. Thank you for sending more passes as I am down to my last two. May God continue to bless all involved with the outreach. Praise God for his amazing love."

Well, thanks Madeleine. We do appreciate your partnership in flinging the seed, and we do value your prayers. We often don't know who is responding, but God does. So keep it up. Our next note is from Bonnie in California:

"My husband Larry and I started to listen to Dr. McGee when he was starting Revelation, and here we are back in Revelation. We have both learned a lot during these five years. I first listened to Dr. McGee in the late '80s. I have the two binders with all the printed notes and outlines. I also have 20 or so printed booklets that I treasure. I wish I could say I stayed on the Bible Bus, but I did not. But I'm back now. Larry and I are thankful for all of you as you get the bus up and running each day. We are grateful supporters of this ministry."

Well, thanks for your support Bonnie and Larry. I'll be sure to save your seats for the next five-year journey. I promise it'll be richer and deeper than this one. It always is. To get our Bible Bus passes that Bonnie referenced, you can sign up as well for our World Prayer Team, like Madeleine did, or join Bonnie and Larry in supporting the Bible Bus in your community in more than 250 languages around the world by simply calling 1-800-65-BIBLE or visit TTB.org.

Let's pray. Father, thank you for working in the lives of everyone listening now. Please lead us in your way and help us to keep our eyes fixed on you. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Let's go to Revelation 3 on Thru the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee: Last time we had something to say about the church in Philadelphia, something relative to the location of it. It is in a very beautiful valley that is inland a great deal. It is in a valley that the river there empties into the Hermus River and it runs actually north and south. It is a beautiful section, one of the widest valleys of all, and it's built up against the side of this mountain range. There's several mountains that are there.

The old city that was there in John's day and probably Paul's day and the days of the apostles, it had a great Acropolis, great theater there, and the city was built at the foot of the hills. Now that city is spread out a great deal and it's a typical Turkish town that is there. Now it is in an area where we called attention last time that erosion is at work.

Some have asked the question, "What happened to the great population that was in that area?" Well, they left primarily because of earthquakes and, of course, warfare. When Tamerlane and these great leaders, pagan leaders, came out of the east and the Seljuk Turks came into that area, it was a time when those that were left were slaughtered so that today the original population is not there at all. But this city has had continuous habitation from the very beginning.

As we have said, it was like an island out in Lydia out in the Anatolian country and the Lydian language was spoken there at first. But by the time you come to the apostles, the Greek language had taken over and it was a typical Greek colony that was there. It was a great fortress city. It was to waylay the enemy that would come in to destroy the great cities like Ephesus and Smyrna and Pergamum.

Those were the three great cities. These other cities were largely fortress cities where garrisons were stationed to either stop the enemy or to delay him as he marched toward the East Coast. Now this is in a country where we called attention last time that erosion is at work and the soil is quite alluvial, but very fertile soil. Beautiful laurel trees around, many flowers, and I noticed that they grow just about everything there that is imaginable.

But at Philadelphia, it was an area where there were many vineyards, especially on the side of the hill, and the god that the pagans worshipped there was Bacchus. They were very much given there to idolatry. But Christianity certainly got a good foothold in that area. Now the city did not get its name, as so many seem to think, from the Bible. Actually, the city got its name because of the love that Attalus II had for his brother Eumenes.

Eumenes was king of Pergamum and this man Attalus had a great love and loyalty for his brother. Because of that, it's called the City of Brotherly Love as he was here. This was the outpost of Greek culture in a truly Asiatic and Anatolian atmosphere. There was the Greek temple there of Bacchus, as we've indicated. It was called a little Athens because of the fact it was in that area and certainly was truly Greek.

Now in AD 17, a great earthquake struck that city and totally destroyed it. The same earthquake totally destroyed Sardis and many other Lydian cities through that area. Tiberius, the emperor, allocated a million dollars for the rebuilding of these cities and they were, of course, built back. Now this is the place where Christian and Saracen fought here during the Crusades and here in 1922 Turkey and Greece fought.

There is apparently there a few Christians. They are undercover, of course, today because they'd be severely persecuted. I told about my experience there at the ruins of that Byzantine church. Now this church was in a very strategic area, by the way, to be a missionary church for that actually was what it is. Now this is the church that we've labeled the revived church, the church that returned back to the word of God and began to teach the word of God.

That represents, I think, Protestantism today. It began, I think, back in the actually last century and it has gained since then. So that Bible teaching today is not something that is new by any means, but it has certainly become rather popular. We feel very definitely that we've come in this program of Bible teaching has come in on the crest of a wave of interest in the word of God today. In other words, we do believe that God has raised us up for this particular hour. We have that conviction.

Now in verse seven: "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write." Now remind you again, the angel is the human messenger, the pastor of the church. This is the Lord's method in all of the churches. He says: "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." Now he always draws something from that vision of himself as the glorified Christ, our great High Priest.

Now will you notice, he reminds them that he's holy. He was holy at his birth. He was holy at his death and he's holy today in his present priestly office. He's so-called. You remember at his birth, "That holy thing that is born of thee," the angel had said to Mary. And in his death, he was holy. He was made sin for us, but he was holy and harmless and undefiled and he was separate from sinners.

We're told over in Acts 2:27 this here: "Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." He was holy in his death and in his resurrection. What a marvelous thing this. Now he's also holy today in his high priestly office, by the way. I turn over to the seventh chapter of Hebrews and I'd like to just share that verse with you there, the 26th verse.

Listen to this: "For such an high priest became us who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, made higher than the heavens." Now he's also true, we're told here. He is the way, the truth, and the life. True means genuine, with an added note of perfection and completeness. In other words, Moses did not give the true bread. Christ is the true bread.

And he hath the key of David. Now this is different from the keys of Hades and death that we saw at the beginning. This speaks of his regal claims as the ruler of this universe. He shall sit upon the throne of his father David and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Now that is the thing the word of God says. He's to sit on the throne of David in the millennium, but today he is a sovereign, but he's sitting at his Father's right hand waiting for his enemies to be made his footstool.

He is the one that is able to open and to close and because of that he's a comfort to those today. Now he says to this church: "I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee an open door, no man can shut it, for thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word and hast not denied my faith." Now this is the verse that we have taken as the motto for the Thru the Bible radio program. We began with it at the first and it means a great deal to us.

I'm going to give you my translation of it, though. He says, "I know thy works. Behold, I've given thee a door open, which none can shut, for thou hast a little strength" and that strength is *dunamin*. We get our word dynamite for you have a little power and didst keep my word and didst not deny my name. Now this is the church that was true to the word of God. You can't call it the Protestant church, you certainly couldn't call it the Roman church or any other church today.

It is those churches that are all over the world, for that matter, that still remain true to the word of God. Will you notice what he says here: "I know thy works." The Lord Jesus is looking for fruit, he's looking for works in the lives of believers. We have been saved by grace, but we've been created unto good works which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.

Friends, there's something wrong with your faith if it doesn't produce works. That's the thing you remember that James says, good old practical camel-knee James, a great man of prayer. This man said, "You show me your faith without your works, I'll show you my faith by my works." Now works is not works of law, it's works of faith. Saving faith produces works. Calvin said, "Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone." Produces something.

Now he says, "I've given thee a door open, which none can shut." Now that could be a door to the joy of the Lord or to a knowledge of the Scriptures. I personally think that it is a door to the knowledge of the Scriptures, which means if he opens the door, he intends for you to move in because he'll open a door of opportunity for witnessing and proclaiming the word of God. I believe that both go together.

He says you have a little strength, and that's all we've ever had. Sometimes I don't think we've got any. In other words, this is an humble group of believers which doesn't have impressive numbers or buildings and programs. I don't know, I get a little weary today about hearing even Thru the Bible making reports. My, how we like to talk about those things today. Friends, that type of thing's not worth anything.

We talk about the hundreds of letters of those that accepted Christ. That's nothing. The important thing today is, are we getting out the word of God? He'll do the counting. God has his own computer that's registering all of this and he tells us that we better not. In fact, Paul could say, Paul says, "I don't even judge myself." Why doesn't he? Well, Paul says, "I may turn in too many converts, I may speak evangelistically and I may give you a wrong figure, and I may look at this a little different than God does. I'm going to have to wait until I get in his presence."

Now he says, "You did keep my word." That means that in a day when there was a denial of the inspiration of the Scriptures, this church believed the Bible to be the authoritative inspired word of God. A 20th century theologian, of course of the liberal ranks, he stated that no intelligent person could believe in a verbal inspiration of the Bible. Well, that sure puts me in a bad light then, because I'm not an intelligent person because I believe in the inspiration of the Bible, that is, if his definition is right. But I don't think he's right about that either.

Now the fifth thing he mentions here: "And didst not deny my name." Now that means in a day when the deity of Christ is blatantly denied by seminaries and the pulpit and the church, here is a church or a group of believers that have remained true to him by proclaiming the God-man and his substitutionary death for sinners. Now in verse nine: "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."

Now he says, if you want my translation let me give it to you. He says: "Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them that say they're Jews and are not, but lie; behold, I'll make them that they shall come and worship before your feet and to know that I've loved you." The remnant of Israel, which was being saved, had left the synagogue by this time. They'd given up the law as a means of salvation and sanctification.

Those who continued in the synagogue were now in a false religion. As Paul makes it clear in Romans, all Israel's not Israel. They were no longer true Jews. He considered the true Israelite was the one that had turned to Christ. Ignatius, according to Trench and reported by Vincent, refers to a local situation where converts from Judaism preach the faith that they once despised and that was true there.

By the way, the Roman Empire used Jews for the purpose of colonizing. They would send them, a regular colony of them, into a foreign area which they did in this section and that's the reason there were so many of them there. Now the Lord Jesus also says here he'll make the enemies of the Philadelphian church to know that he loves this church. Now this is the sixth point of commendation.

Now notice again, he says: "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation" or testing "which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth." Now because they did keep the word of my patience, as he said, he says, "I also will keep you out of the hour of the trial which is about to come upon the whole inhabited world to test them that dwell upon the earth."

Now this last commendation is that this church kept the word of Christ in patience. This is evidently the patient waiting for the coming of Christ for his own. It has been in the present century that the doctrines of eschatology have been developed more than in all previous centuries combined. During the past, I would say 40 years, there's been a revival of interest in both Europe and America, in fact all over the world, relative to the second coming of Christ. Even the liberals talk about it every now and then.

Now the Book of Jesus Christ is the Book of Life. Are the names of the entire human family inscribed in this book that we looked at a while ago? Well, may I say to you, I can't answer that. But I do know that those that are saved, they will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air at the rapture. I think it's the Philadelphian church that is the raptured church, and that the church of Laodicea that we're going to see next time is not the one that's raptured.

In other words, Christ's final word of encouragement to his church is that it will not pass through the Great Tribulation. This has to be the Great Tribulation. It's world-wide. The church is to be removed from the world and that is its comfort. That's its hope. That's its patient waiting for Christ who through faith and patience inherit the promises. The church is not anticipating the Great Tribulation with all its judgments that we're going to see here in Revelation, but it's looking for him to come.

And now he says: "Behold, I come quickly." That doesn't mean soon. It means when he comes things are going to begin to happen. "Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." Now not your salvation, but you can lose your crown. You can lose your reward, you see. And in verse 12 he says: "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out."

And there are two pillars there today. One is that Byzantine church, which I don't think is the reference here, but there is a pillar up there on the side of the hill hidden in those cedar trees and laurel trees and that is the pillar that is all that remains of the city of John's day. And now he says: "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'll write upon him my new name."

You know when you go to the airport and check your luggage, they put on it where it's going and where it's come from. I think that God's children are going to travel through his universe and we're going to have to have on us a label in case we get lost out there somewhere. This is a big universe, you see. And he says that he'll make him a pillar in the temple of my God. The church down here was destroyed, but they're permanent pillars up yonder, you see.

"And I'm going to put upon him my new name." That is his name. We don't have a new name, that's not what he's saying here in Revelation. What he's saying is he has a new name that he'll give to us for himself and that new name is a personal relationship we'll have with him. Now next time we see the church of Laodicea. Until then, may God richly bless you, my beloved.

Steve Schwetz: If you'd like to know more about the ministry of Thru the Bible or if we can help you find a Bible study resource to dig deeper into God's word yourself, well, download our app. It's a great place to start. You can also call us at 1-800-65-BIBLE or visit TTB.org. While you're there, look for our digital booklet God's Grand Finale: An Introduction to Revelation. In it, Dr. McGee reminds us that despite the bizarre images and symbols, Revelation ultimately is all about Jesus and God's intention and purpose for him to reign on Earth.

It's so good and it's a great way to prepare yourself for reading or doing a deep study of the book of Revelation. Now, another resource I think that you'll love is our Bible companion for Revelation. Whether you download our free copy or purchase a print edition for you or maybe your small groups, it's such a great tool. God's Grand Finale and our Revelation Bible companion are two of many, many great study resources that we make available.

You'll find them all in our app or online at TTB.org, or give us a call at 1-800-65-BIBLE if we can help you find something specific. That's 1-800-652-4253. And when you're in touch, remember it's so helpful for us to know how you listen. There are so many great options and your feedback, well, that guides us as to how we make ministry decisions and then really try to be good stewards of your financial support.

So it's especially useful, by the way, if you listen by local radio station. So if that's how you do listen, be sure to give us the call letters when you reach us. And thanks in advance for your help. I'm Steve Schwetz, and as always, I'll meet you back here next time as our extraordinary study in the book of Revelation continues on Thru the Bible.