Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Revelation Chapter 3 verses 7-11
*Rev 3:7-11 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. 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. 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. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these verses line upon line starting with verse 7…
“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;”
The angel is describing the person and what he will teach. First he says he is holy. The word holy is Strong’s number 40 and means saint. A saint is someone who lives by every word of God. Then this verse says he is true.
TAKE NOTE: this person is not described as being trustworthy as the person described during the Laodicean era (Rev 3:14).

Next the angel says this person has the key of David.
Who was this person then that was holy and true and had the key of David? This person was Herbert W. Armstrong who began the Worldwide Church of God. He had the key of David revealing to the world the lost ten tribes of Israel and where they are today in his booklet first printed in 1967 “The United States and Britain in Prophecy”. Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong also taught the world that the Sabbath and Holy Days (Lev 23) given to the twelve tribes of Israel are to be kept by all in his booklet first printed in 1957 “Pagan Holidays- or Gods Holy Days- Which?”, also available on the Internet.

Let’s take a closer look now at the first part of verse 8…
“I know thy works: behold”
This verse is God stepping in for the word behold is Strong’s number 2400 which is derived from Strong’s number 1492 which is derived from Strong’s number 3700 which means to see something remarkable.
Continuing…
"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".
God is telling Mr. Armstrong that because he would not allow any man to silence the word of God from him that he would show him honor...
Next in verse 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.
Here again is the word “Behold” for yet again you will now see something remarkable.
A synagogue is a church. God is telling Mr. Herbert W Armstrong that those which say they are Gods people (Jews Gen 49:10) but are not lie. And that God would cause those who thought they were Gods people but who were not to worship (serve) Mr. Armstrong by joining the Worldwide Church of God.

Let me prove this to you precept on precept, here a little and there a little...
The details of what happened to Mr. Armstrong and his church are described by a prophecy in the Old Testament.
Isa 22:20-25 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: 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. 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. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. 25 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken it.

This is telling us that Mr. Armstrong who had the key of David teaching the Sabbath and Holy days as the Jews would become rich but that this church would be removed and would be cut off. This did happen to the Worldwide Church of God, it is no more.
Mr. Armstrong was holy and true however he was not trustworthy. Had he known this he most likely would not have made predictions and teachings that were false.

And now verse 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".
Let's examine this first line "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience"
What is the word of God's patience? God's patience is in the fact that he has allowed Satan's teachings to be in all churches until the woman of Rev 12 exposes his lies (Rev 12:9) now going to the world at the heel of time as a witness.
Now the next line "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"
The word thee is not to all those that were in his church it is only Mr. Armstrong. God kept his word as Mr. Armstrong will not go through the Great Tribulation. He has passed away.

I was a co-worker member of the Worldwide Church of God by my free will gifts and offerings beginning in 1980 while keeping the Sabbath and Holy Days from home, I was unable to attend services. I left this church in 1995 because Mr. Joseph W. Tkach had changed Mr. Armstrong’s primary teachings. Many other people left around the same time and a large portion of them began The United Church of God in 1995 of which I was baptized into in 2005. The Ministers of the United Church of God think that because they formerly were a part of the Worldwide Church of God (Philadelphia era), that they too will be protected as Mr. Armstrong from the Great Tribulation. This is not true. UCG is Laodicean they do not use any of Mr. Armstrong’s booklets, they have produced their own booklets. The Laodicean church becomes lukewarm only because a prophet is raised up from them (Acts 3:22-23) who is trustworthy, faithful and a true witness (Rev 3:14). I deliver the true word to the world (Rev 12:5). All who will hear this witness can now become hot! This Good Tale (Gospel) shall be preached in all the world as a witness, by this true witness, and then the end shall come.

Lastly let’s look at verse 11...
“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown”.
Let's examine this first line "Behold, I come quickly"
This is truer now then it was during the Worldwide Church of God. This is the heel of time. Because I am God’s faithful servant every post on this website is trustworthy and true. I write and post all that God commands, these truths are coming from him.
And the last line "hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown".
God was again instructing Mr. Armstrong because as is true for Mr. Armstrong runs true for any who love God and put him first in their life. We must overcome our carnal mind of hate and we must endure to the end, hold on and never give up if you want to be allowed inside the walls of the coming New Jerusalem. Much is required.

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