BIBLETRUTHONLINE.COM
THE TWO CHURCHES OF THE LAST DAYS
“In the Last Days there will be two Churches...”
First...some historical/prophetic context:
1) In the first three chapters of the Book of Revelation,
there are 7 Churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira,
Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicia.
These 7 represent Jesus’ Church throughout the Church Age.
The 7 Churches that Jesus speaks about in the Book of Revelation
are symbolic names of the 7 phases that the mainstream
church will go through.
They exist separately, but in a chronological order and can
be thought of as different "eras" of the Church.
These different eras will overlap one another in history as
one church rises in influence and another decreases in influence.
2) The Church Age lasts from the end of Daniel’s 69 th Week of
Years (Messiah cut off) until the 70 th week of Daniel
(Antichrist’s 7-year Covenant) as told in Daniel 9.
In other words, the gap between Jesus’ crucifixion/resurrection
and the revealing of AntiChrist is the Church Age.
The last two churches that will dominate before the revealing
of AntiChrist and the Great Tribulation will be
Philadelphia (#6) and Laodicea (#7).
3) The saints persecuted by AntiChrist are not the Church of Christ.
The Church will be raptured just before AntiChrist is revealed
and before The Great Tribulation.
The Church will not be present to preach the Gospel so Jesus
will send the 144,000 who will receive the Gospel through
the Two Witnesses.
Anyone who receives their message will be saved but will have
missed the Rapture and must endure until the end.
4) The Church is not a building. The Church is the Body of Christ.
Those who follow after Jesus (by faith“ing”) are the members
of His Body (1 Corinthians 6).
Jesus is the Head/Chief Cornerstone of His Church (Ephesians 2);
not any denomination or physical structure and especially not
the Pope.
Jesus does not have an earthly-foreman or temporal ruler.
The Church of Jesus Christ is made up of the elect throughout
the world and the time span of the Church Age.
It is not contained in a four-walled building.
Jesus’ Church is a spiritual/invisible Body of believers;
and those believers must worship in spirit and in truth.
Worship is not a physical exercise or secret formula and
is not singing, dancing, clapping, etc.
With this information in mind, now we begin our study:
PART 1:
“In the Last Days there will be two Churches...”
I. Philadelphia
Revelation 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.
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
the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11.Behold, I come quickly: hold fast which thou hast, that no
man may take thy crown.
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 the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven
from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
NOTE #1:
The open door that has been set before us equals the going forth
of the Gospel message of Grace through faith alone after the
Reformation.
No evil power, the Catholic Church, or Satan himself,
has been able to shut that door.
The western nations/lost tribes of Israel, primarily America
(Ephraim) and Great Britain (Manasseh), have played an instrumental
role in bringing forth the message of the Gospels to all the
nations of the earth, thus fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham
(passed down to Ephraim and Manasseh) that
“All nations will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3).
LATER read these three papers for more information:
1. Birthright Promises: Abraham to Ephraim
2. Who are the Lost Tribes of Israel?
3. Meine Meine Tekel Upharsin
NOTE #2:
The Church of Philadelphia will be removed before the hour of
temptation...which is the unrighteous deception and strong
delusion spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12.
God’s wrath is poured out upon the whole earth.
This is known as the GREAT Tribulation.
This "strong delusion" is sent by God and will cause everyone who
does not “receive the love of the truth” to follow after AntiChrist.
Those who before the Rapture did not realize the wrath that was
poured out on Jesus on the cross for the atonement of sin and
have not turned to Him as their Messiah will have to endure God’s
wrath upon themselves during this time.
The Body of Christ (now the Church) WILL NOT be struck twice!
God punished Moses for striking the rock (which is symbolic of
Jesus) twice when the Lord instructed Moses to only SPEAK to the
rock the second time (Numbers 20:7-13; Exodus 17:5-7).
Those who are in Christ have been crucified with Christ.
Those who are not in Christ stand condemned and are subject to
God’s judgement.
BUT
God's wrath will be poured on those that still haven't waken
to the fact of who their Messiah is by the time the Great Tribulation
takes place.
1 Thessalonians 5:9
9. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation
by our Lord Jesus Christ.
II. Laodicea
Revelation 3:14-22
14. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;
These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness,
the beginning of the creation of God;
15. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold or hot:
I would thou wert cold or hot.
16. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,
I will spew thee out of my mouth.
17. 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:
18. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that
thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be
clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear ;
and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore
and repent.
20. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my
voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and I will
sup with him, and he with me.
21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my
throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my
Father in his throne.
22. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto
the churches.
NOTE #3:
Look at verse 15 and 16:
Cold water is refreshing.
Hot springs are medicinal and healing.
Lukewarm water is nauseating.
The Church of Laodicea is neither refreshing nor healing,
neither salt nor light. It bears no fruit. Lukewarm water serves
no “special” purpose and just like salt that loses saltiness, it
must be thrown out as dirt to be trampled on by men and beast.
Note #4:
Look at verse 18:
Being the last Church of the Age,
they are “blind” to the signs that point to what is about to
come upon the whole earth. They live in denial and cannot
imagine life outside their “bubble” of comfort.
Jesus will anoint their eyes so that they may see if they ask Him!
Note #5:
Look at verse 17 and 19:
This Church needs to WAKE UP and repent of its complacency.
It has pushed Jesus out and rejected the truth, putting their
worldly possessions first.
Note #6:
Look at verse 20:
They have kicked Jesus out of their services, their fellowship,
and their daily lives. Jesus will come back in IF THEY LET HIM.
This is spoken to Laodicea and NOT to the unsaved.
Note #7:
Many Laodicean Christians were formerly Philadelphians.
Philadelphia becomes Laodicea as the next generation of Christians
are brought up without a Biblical world-view, without any real
relationship with Jesus, and without the knowledge of the Truth.
They have made Jesus’ salvation some sort of twisted added “bonus”
for attending church instead of making Him the center and focus
of the church. Having no relationship with Jesus, they
think they can earn points or get into heaven for attending
services...or have forgotten why they attend chruch altogether
and even question why they even call themselves "Christians".
PART 2:
“In the Last Days there will be 2 Churches...”
Matthew 25:1-13
1. Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins,
which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with
them:
4. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom
cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil;
for our lamps are gone out.
9. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough
for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for
yourselves.
10.And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that
were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was
shut.
11.Afterwards came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord,
open to us.
12.But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you , I know you
not.
13.Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour
wherein the Son of man cometh.
Note #1
10 virgins = the Church in the Last Days.
Some are foolish, some are wise.
Note #2
Wise virgins = Philadelphia (The Bride)
Foolish virgins = Laodicea (Not the Bride)
They are the same two Churches that exist just before the Rapture.
Those who are of the Bride will be taken
AND
Those who are not of the Bride will be left behind.
Note #3
Laodicea is last (#7) because the end will not come unless the
“falling away” comes first (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Laodicea is
either the “fallen” church or the vehicle through which the
“falling away” will occur.
This church will follow after AntiChrist and be deceived by him
because “they received not the love of the truth”
(2 Thessalonians 2:10).
Each day that passes and we move closer to Jesus’ return for
His Bride, the mainstream Church will become more and more
Laodicean.
Note #4
Both the foolish and wise virgins were watching and waiting for
the bridegroom (Jesus), but the foolish virgins did not properly
prepare themselves individually. They thought they could just
get in with the wise virgins.
Note #5
The oil = knowledge of and relationship with Jesus/Holy Spirit
dwelling inside.
A lamp is of no use without oil inside to make a flame.
An outwardly religious person (or “church go-er”) is of no use
without Jesus via the Holy Spirit to produce "fruit" which are
the only "GOOD" WORKS in their life.
Note #6
The foolish virgins brought their lamps. They even trimmed them.
They have all the right outwardly appearances,
BUT...
LOOKING RELIGIOUS WILL NOT SAVE YOU IN THE END!
Note #7
While they wait for His return Jesus is calling out,
“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that
thou mayest be rich...” (Revelation 3:18).
Instead some will wait until it’s too late and will
want to take from those who are wise (Matthew 25:8).
The wise respond saying,
“Not so; lest there be not enough for
us and you : but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for
yourselves” (Rev 25:9).
A relationship takes time.
Every person must:
A) have their own relationship with Jesus
B) be born again of the Spirit
C) be ready for Him when He comes.
Jesus tells those who are wise, “hold fast which thou hast,
that no man may take thy crown” (Rev. 3:13).
The Laodicean Church is foolish for not putting value in what
is most precious (which is knowing who the Bridegroom is)
and will not be able to take or borrow from what
the Philadelphians have.
Without faith, without a relationship with Jesus, and without
being born-again, they have missed the point of why they
attend Church services and why they call themselves Christians.
Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice,
and open the door, I will come into him, and I will sup with him,
and he with me.
WARNING........
Just because you attend a church with people who have a
relationship with Jesus, doesn’t mean you have a relationship
with Jesus!
Just because you’re aware that Jesus is returning for His people,
doesn’t mean you’re going with them.
If Jesus doesn’t know you and you don’t know Him, then He wont
know to come back for you.
If you do have a relationship with Jesus and His Spirit dwells
inside of you, though you will suffer trials and tribulation in
this life, you have nothing to fear; your eternal reward will
far outweigh all suffering in this life.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
saith unto the churches!
Back to Prophetic Truth >>