Lord Jesus in Revelation 2 & 3 gave 7 Messages to the 7 Churches in Asia (Minor). FIVE of those Messages were rebukes, for five of them had problems. Only 2 Churches He had NO rebuke for, and they understood a specific doctrine that in the other five Churches the:re is no mention. Thus the 2 Churches He did not rebuke represent His very elect.
The first one was the Church of Smyrna:
Rev 2:8-11
8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; "These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
His servants at the Church of Smyrna had no great material riches, and suffered tribulation, and they were aware of the "blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan." Lord Jesus did not mention that matter to any of the 5 Churches that He rebuked.
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
KJV
Jesus told those at the Church of Smyrna that some of them would suffer imprisonment for ten days, and be tried, and would have tribulation 10 days, and to be faithful even unto death. To overcome in Jesus during the future "great tribulation" means not fearing death of our flesh. But instead we are... to fear the "second death", which is the casting of one's spirit & soul in the future "lake of fire" at GOD;s great white throne judgement (see Matthew 10:28).
The other Church Jesus had NO rebuke for was the Church of Philadelphia:
Rev 3:7-13
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;
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.
That key of David is very important; it is symbolic of understanding in God's Truth full strength so no one can deceive you. When Jesus said He set before them that open door that no man can shut, He was pointing to His having given them that key of David to know His Truth. That is a sign of His very elect here.
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.
These also understood that doctrine about the false Jews, the "tares" He pointed to in the parable of the tares of the field, the crept in unawares of the Book of Jude, the "workers of iniquity" back in the Old Testament, the "mystery of iniquity" which Apostle Paul said was already at work, and the "many antichrists" that John also said were already at work. Jesus did not mention that to any of the 5 Churches He had rebuke for; do you think maybe because they didn't know this doctrine was why they had problems in their Churches, not recognizing Christ's enemies that creep in?
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.
These very elect of His kept His Word. And because of that they would be kept from the "hour of temptation".
Now some folks try to say that means they are 'raptured' out before the "great tribulation", but that is not what is meant here.
The "hour of temptation" represents the TIME OF DECEPTION FOR THE END BY THE FALSE MESSIAH during the "great tribulation", for that is what that "hour of temptation" is about.
Don't you recall the laborers in the field that only worked 'one hour' at the end of the day, and got the same pay as those who worked all day? Don't you recall the ten virgins waited for the Bridegroom, and then the hour of midnight the Bridegroom came when they were sleeping? Don't you recall Jesus warning His servants in Mark 13 about their being delivered up to be tried, and give a Testimony for Him, and to not premeditate what they would say in that... "hour"? Don't you recall in Rev.17:12 about the ten kings rule "one hour" with the beast (king) for the end of this world? That is about that "hour of temptation" by false-Messiah during the coming great tribulation.
These will not... be tempted. Jesus already owns His very elect, and these of the Church of Philadelphia He set an open door before that NO man can shut!
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Jesus saying that shows they already have that promise of that future crown, and to not do anything to lose it.
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.
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
KJV
The first one was the Church of Smyrna:
Rev 2:8-11
8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; "These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
His servants at the Church of Smyrna had no great material riches, and suffered tribulation, and they were aware of the "blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan." Lord Jesus did not mention that matter to any of the 5 Churches that He rebuked.
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
KJV
Jesus told those at the Church of Smyrna that some of them would suffer imprisonment for ten days, and be tried, and would have tribulation 10 days, and to be faithful even unto death. To overcome in Jesus during the future "great tribulation" means not fearing death of our flesh. But instead we are... to fear the "second death", which is the casting of one's spirit & soul in the future "lake of fire" at GOD;s great white throne judgement (see Matthew 10:28).
The other Church Jesus had NO rebuke for was the Church of Philadelphia:
Rev 3:7-13
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;
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.
That key of David is very important; it is symbolic of understanding in God's Truth full strength so no one can deceive you. When Jesus said He set before them that open door that no man can shut, He was pointing to His having given them that key of David to know His Truth. That is a sign of His very elect here.
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.
These also understood that doctrine about the false Jews, the "tares" He pointed to in the parable of the tares of the field, the crept in unawares of the Book of Jude, the "workers of iniquity" back in the Old Testament, the "mystery of iniquity" which Apostle Paul said was already at work, and the "many antichrists" that John also said were already at work. Jesus did not mention that to any of the 5 Churches He had rebuke for; do you think maybe because they didn't know this doctrine was why they had problems in their Churches, not recognizing Christ's enemies that creep in?
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.
These very elect of His kept His Word. And because of that they would be kept from the "hour of temptation".
Now some folks try to say that means they are 'raptured' out before the "great tribulation", but that is not what is meant here.
The "hour of temptation" represents the TIME OF DECEPTION FOR THE END BY THE FALSE MESSIAH during the "great tribulation", for that is what that "hour of temptation" is about.
Don't you recall the laborers in the field that only worked 'one hour' at the end of the day, and got the same pay as those who worked all day? Don't you recall the ten virgins waited for the Bridegroom, and then the hour of midnight the Bridegroom came when they were sleeping? Don't you recall Jesus warning His servants in Mark 13 about their being delivered up to be tried, and give a Testimony for Him, and to not premeditate what they would say in that... "hour"? Don't you recall in Rev.17:12 about the ten kings rule "one hour" with the beast (king) for the end of this world? That is about that "hour of temptation" by false-Messiah during the coming great tribulation.
These will not... be tempted. Jesus already owns His very elect, and these of the Church of Philadelphia He set an open door before that NO man can shut!
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Jesus saying that shows they already have that promise of that future crown, and to not do anything to lose it.
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.
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
KJV
