I consider myself Philadelphian

Revelation starts out talking time periods...

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 signified it by his angel unto his servant John: - Revelation 1:1

In which I take as ages, or congregations as they are still ages. I was reading of a decision of a lady to become a nun and thought within myself she is doing her part in keeping the Thyatirean candlestick, or church, burning. There is also a thread in this forum called, "Are some Baptists closer to Assembly of God than Reformed?" In which I wonder if the churches in question are not Laodicean.

The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. - Revelation 1:20

All of this, though, is a mystery, in which I have done my best. I believe it was the intention of this passage to address the many issues of the church that would come to pass.

Love will not be constrain'd by mastery.
When mast'ry comes, the god of love anon
Beateth his wings, and, farewell, he is gone.
Love is a thing as any spirit free.- Geoffrey Chaucer Canterbury Tales

It seems like once a denomination feels like it arrives it is all over with and they lose the Philadelphian spirit that once made them great. I love the old Methodist church but that revival is long over with!

Candlesticks - Seven church congregations that would be birthed in time
Stars - Individuals within the congregations, all held in the right hand of Christ
Seals - The seven seals sealed each congregation within the lambs book of life

And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. - Revelation 5:4

If this interpretation is not correct why all the ado? And this also highlights the importance of the seven churches that would come to pass.

 

Another thing unique to the mystery of the Philadelphian candlestick is that wonderful hymns came out of this congregation. Fanny Crosby, March 24, 1820 – February 12, 1915, wrote something like 8,000 hymns. Barney E. Warren (1867 - 1951) penned "Joy Unspeakable and Full of Glory" in 1900. In my church this was sung with much heart. The song below starts out slow but picks up in tempo all sung with much heart and in Philadelphian spirit...

I have found His grace is all complete, He supplieth every need!
While I sit and learn at Jesus' feet, I am free, yes, free indeed!
It is joy unspeakable and full of glory, Full of glory, full of glory!
It is joy unspeakable and full of glory, Oh, the half has never yet been told.
I have found the pleasure I once craved, It is joy and peace within!
What a wondrous blessing, I am saved from the awful gulf of sin!
I have found that hope so bright and clear, Living in the realm of grace;
Oh, the Savior's presence is so near, I can see His smiling face!
I have found the joy no tongue can tell, How its waves of glory roll;
It is like a great o'erflowing well, Springing up within my soul!

 

Chaucer's attitudes toward what was then the Catholic Church should not be confused with his attitudes toward Christianity. He seems to have respected and admired Christians in what I believe was in the Thyatirean age, and to have been one himself, though he also recognised that many people in the church were venal and corrupt. He writes in Canterbury Tales, "now I beg all those that listen to this little treatise, or read it, that if there be anything in it that pleases them, they thank our Lord Jesus Christ for it, from whom proceeds all understanding and goodness."

And also noting so many who thought they had arrived, “Love will not be constrain'd by mastery. When mast'ry comes, the god of love anon Beateth his wings, and, farewell, he is gone! Love is a thing as any spirit free.”- Geoffrey Chaucer Canterbury Tales

I wonder if many of us will be forced to live uniquely as Chaucer, as we will miss the church we were saved in during these Laodicean times!

 

You take your doctrine outside your congregation and see how quickly you are refuted! My dad taught at a Lutheran church the need of being Born Again and the elders called him in meeting and told him salvation is attained via infant baptism and there was no need of further salvation! I told him he was unlikely to break them of their Sardisean church age ways!

 

Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; - Revelation 2:1


The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. - Revelation 1:20

 

Because the history matches the churches...

Messianic - First congregation initially did not want to eat with the gentiles
Martyr - Foxes has the Roman persecutions as ten (ye shall have tribulation ten days - Revelation 2:10)
Orthodox - Pergos is a tower, needed in the dark ages
Catholic - The woman Jezebel - You would not have wanted to have spoken out against her in her time!
Protestant - Sardis is a gem - This congregation was elegant and hard shelled
Revived - With revival came evangelist and wonderful hymns, especially in the 1800's
Materialistic - Rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing?


What I would look for -

1. Falling away with many leaving denominational churches
2. Increase in non-denominational churches
3. More praise and worship type music replacing the hymns
4. The rapture of the church

 

The book of Revelation predicts that which will transpire in time - 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 signified it by his angel unto his servant John: - Revelation 1:1
We are in the Laodicean Age - Which began with the prosperity of the last age...
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: - Revelation 3:17
For the love of money is the root of all evil... - 1 Timothy 6:10

Even in churches many will look down on others for not reaching a state of material gain. We are also in the midst of lukewarm times, which has created a great falling away, and will lead up to the rapture of the church...

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; - 2 Thessalonians 2:3

 

The "Laodicean Age" ... Food for thought...

Sardis - Calvinism was popular
Philadelphia - Arminianism was popular
Laodicea - Who is John Calvin? Who is Jacobus Arminius? Especially as there is no Sunday School!

If you have not seen the changes that this Laodicean age has brought to pass just wait a little as Joe Biden gets a hold of this country!

 

The book of Revelation predicts that which will transpire in time - 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 signified it by his angel unto his servant John: - Revelation 1:1

 

If you guys cant see the changes I am talking about just give Joe Biden and Kamala D. Harris a few years! It is going to set us up for the destruction stated in the later chapters of Revelation and will be like something out of a JRR Tolkien story in which Morgoth pours his mighty force of orcs, balrogs, dragons, and such out of Angband into Beleriand and utter destruction!

 

I just came from fireworks at Liberty University. Jonathan Falwell, who I understand is also pastor of Liberty University as well as the Thomas Road Baptist Church did a wonderful job narrating the event.

I would have no problem considering Jonathan Falwell of Philadelphian variety. I am deeply disappointed in his brother Jerry Falwell Jr and think it is typical Laodicean spirit in need of rebuke and chastening.