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~ The Church of Philadelphia, Alive In America  ~

RE 026 796 737 US. 
November 2019
What is the Church of Philadelphia in the bible and how does it relate to America?

Question: "What was Jesus’ message to the church in Philadelphia in Revelation?"

Answer: Revelation 3:7-13 records Christ’s message to the sixth of the seven churches
addressed in Revelation 2–3. The Philadelphian church is the recipient of this letter.
Philadelphia was a city in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) on the Imperial Post Road,
an important trade route.

The Church of Philadelphia is Blessed by Christ.

The message is from the Lord Jesus Christ through an angel or “messenger” (likely a
reference to the pastor): “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write . . .”
(Revelation 3:7). This was not John’s personal message to these believers; it was a
message from the Lord, who identifies Himself as “him who is holy and true, who
holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one
can open.” This description of Jesus emphasizes His holiness, His sovereignty, and His
authority. The reference to the key of David is an allusion to the Messianic prophecy of 

Isaiah 22:22. Jesus is the one who opens and shuts, and no one can say Him nay.

Christ gives us his name for protection, to all Members of the Church. 

Jesus affirms the church’s positive actions: “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before
you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have
kept my word and have not denied my name” (Revelation 3:8). The church of
Philadelphia was weak in some respects, yet they had remained faithful in the face of
trial. Because of this, the Lord promises them an “open door” of blessing.
Jesus’ letter then condemns the enemies of the Philadelphian believers: “I will make
those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but
are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have
loved you” (Revelation 3:9). Those who persecuted the believers (the persecutors were
religious hypocrites in this case) would one day realize Christ loves His children. The
church of Philadelphia would be victorious over its enemies.

Jesus encourages the Philadelphian believers regarding His future coming: “Since you
have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial
that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am
coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown” (Revelation
3:10-11). The church’s faithful endurance would serve as a blessing. Jesus would take
them to be with Him before the coming tribulation (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). He also
exhorts them to remain faithful, because this would lead to rewards in the afterlife. Based
on this and other passages, many Bible interpreters conclude that the rapture is an event
distinct from the second coming of Christ. The fact that the Philadelphians are promised
to be preserved from the time of the tribulation corresponds with the pretribulational view
of the rapture.

Jesus provides a final promise to the believers in Philadelphia and to all believers: “Him
who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it.
I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new
Jerusalem, which is coming down from out of heaven from my God; and I will also write
on him my new name” (Revelation 3:12). Professor Thomas Constable notes, “God
promised that He will not just honor overcomers by erecting a pillar in their name in
heaven, as was the custom in Philadelphia. He will make them pillars in the spiritual
temple of God, the New Jerusalem (21:22; cf. Gal. 2:9; 1 Cor. 3:16-17; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph.
2:19-22; 1 Pet. 2:4-10).” (Source: Thomas Constable, Notes on Revelation at
http://soniclight.org/constable/notes/pdf/revelation.pdf.)

So, those who struggled with weakness Jesus makes everlasting pillars in the house of
God. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). Jesus’
words of comfort certainly would have been a blessing to the Philadelphians who had
faithfully stood for Christ in their pagan culture. His words continue to serve as an
encouragement to faithful believers today.
The Constitutional Congress of 1787 - The 'New' Church of Philadelphia built
of the faith of the founding fathers in a holy ‘Covenant.’ 

https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel04.html

The Continental-Confederation Congress, a legislative body that governed the United

States from 1774 to 1789, contained an extraordinary number of deeply religious men.
The amount of energy that Congress invested in encouraging the practice of religion in
the new nation exceeded that expended by any subsequent American national
government. Although the Articles of Confederation did not officially authorize Congress
to concern itself with religion, the citizenry did not object to such activities. This lack of
objection suggests that both the legislators and the public considered it appropriate for the
national government to promote a nondenominational, nonpolemical Christianity.

Congress appointed chaplains for itself and the armed forces, sponsored the publication
of a Bible, imposed Christian morality on the armed forces, and granted public lands to
promote Christianity among the Indians. National days of thanksgiving and of
"humiliation, fasting, and prayer" were proclaimed by Congress at least twice a year
throughout the war. Congress was guided by "covenant theology," a Reformation
doctrine especially dear to New England Puritans, which held that God bound
himself in an agreement with a nation and its people. This agreement stipulated that
they "should be prosperous or afflicted, according as their general Obedience or
Disobedience thereto appears." Wars and revolutions were, accordingly, considered
afflictions, as divine punishments for sin, from which a nation could rescue itself by
repentance and reformation.

The first national government of the United States, was convinced that the "public
prosperity" of a society depended on the vitality of its religion. Nothing less than a
"spirit of universal reformation among all ranks and degrees of our citizens," Congress
declared to the American people, would "make us a holy, that so we may be a happy
people."

Conclusions
With the blessings of God almighty, the Church of Philadelphia is a blessed Church and
protected by God s covenant. As the letter is written in biblical times, the book of
Revelation is prophetic and relates to circumstances today more then ever. Did the
founding Father create a new Church of Philadelphia in the Declaration of independence
and with the Constitutional convention of 1787? Is this why God has so favored the US?
Was the founding of America a true American treasure, a new sanctioned Church of God,
made to bring in the New Covenant and protect God’s people.

Image 1
Constitutional Congress 1789
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_Convention_(United_States)

Image 2
Capitol building Rotunda Image - The Apotheosis of Washington 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apotheosis_of_Washington
The Apotheosis of Washington depicts George Washington sitting amongst the heavens in an
exalted manner, or in literal terms, ascending and becoming a god (apotheosis). Washington, the
first U.S. president and commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American
Revolutionary War, is allegorically represented, surrounded by figures from classical mythology.
Washington is draped in purple, a royal color, with a rainbow arch at his feet, flanked by the goddess
Victoria (draped in green, using a horn) to his left and the Goddess of Liberty to his right. Liberty
wears a red Phrygian cap, symbolizing emancipation, from a Roman tradition where sons leaving
the home and/or slaves being emancipated would be given a red cap. She holds a fasces in her right
hand and an open book in the other.

Forming a circle between Liberty and Victory are 13 maidens, each with a star above her head,
representing the original 13 colonies. Several of the maidens have their backs turned to Washington,
said to represent the colonies that had seceded from the Union at the time of painting. Upside down
above Washington is the banner E Pluribus Unum meaning "out of many, one".
 
The Rainbow is the depiction of GOD and his blessings upon us and our nation.

Three into One = Trinity 

Amen.