23. The Kingdom Parables – The Sixth – The Pearl Of Greatest Price – Part 3 Of 4 Series

23. The Kingdom Parables – The Sixth – The Pearl of Greatest Price – Part 3 of 4

WHAT DOES PHILADELPHIA REPRESENT? WHAT’S ITS PLACE IN CHURCH HISTORY?

[1]. INTRODUCTION FOR PART 3

We have completed the Study of the Pearl of Great Price, and looked at the Merchantman and the formation of the pearl. We have seen how the Pearl is the Church redeemed and bought by Christ. We saw that the teaching that the pearl is salvation one buys, or obtains by giving up everything, is wrong.

Having established that the Pearl is the Redeemed Church, we are now going to look at the next church in line in Revelation 3, and after Sardis is Philadelphia. Philadelphia is the church matching the Pearl.

We saw how each of the previous 5 churches of Asia Minor in Revelation 2 and 3 identified with a Kingdom Parable, and also with a Church period. Here is the list of those -

** Parable of the Sower = The Church at Ephesus = The Apostolic Period

** Parable of the Tares = The Church at Smyrna = The persecuted Church up till A.D. 312

** Parable of the Mustard Seed = The Church at Pergamum = The corruption of the Church under Constantine, and up to, and merging with the rise of the Roman Catholic Church.

** Parable of the Leaven = The Church at Thyatira = The Roman Catholic Church

** Parable of the Hidden Treasure = The Church at Sardis = Restored Israel as the Treasure that will be no longer hidden at the Second Coming. The period of the Protestant reformations when the hidden gospel was being unearthed.

[2]. THE MATCHING CHURCH FOR THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE

We have seen that in every Parable, one of the churches of Revelation 2 and 3 matches each one of the Parables of Matthew 13, but the remarkable thing is that it is all in consecutive order. The next church in order is that of Philadelphia. Already we have seen that The Pearl of Great Price is the CHURCH for which Christ gave up everything to purchase with His own death. So precious and eternal is that Pearl, that the corresponding church from Revelation must be very special, unlike any of the others, AND IT IS!

There is not one mark of condemnation for Philadelphia. All is beautiful. That is even more remarkable when we consider the meaning of the word. Philadelphia means “brotherly love”. We saw that the meanings were very significant in the case of each church and that is also the case here. No condemnation is in the letter – brotherly love is to the fore. Now we will look a bit at the background of the city.

[3]. SOME BACKGROUND FOR PHILADELPHIA

PHILADELPHIA was the city showing on its coins the two brothers Eumenes and Attalus II who had loyalty and affection for each other (the brotherly love). Nearly 1000 feet above sea level it overlooked a superior wine growing area. Bacchus (Wine god) is on their coins. The word Philadelphia means “Brotherly love”. The place was very famous for its hot springs (still is today) and for repeated earthquakes.

The historian Ramsay says, “The intention of its founder was to make it a centre of Graeco-Asiatic civilisation and the means of spreading the Greek language and manners in the eastern parts of Lydia and Phrygia. IT WAS A MISSIONARY CITY, founded to promote a unity of spirit, customs and loyalty within the realm, the mission post of Hellenism in an oriental land.” Philadelphia had become a missionary city in the secular sense because through it passed all the Hellenistic culture to the world before it. But the Lord is promising that through the church, would pass the message of the gospel.

A goodly number of Jews lived in Philadelphia, and Ignatius writing in about 110 A.D. to the church in Philadelphia, mentions the Jews there who had become converted and were very contrite about the trouble they had caused. (Revelation 3:9).

[4]. WE ARE GOING TO EXAMINE THE LETTER IN SOME DETAIL

[A]. VERSE 7 – THE OPEN AND SHUT DOORS WITH THE KEY OF DAVID

{{Revelation 3:7 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: HE WHO IS HOLY, WHO IS TRUE, who has the key of David, WHO OPENS AND NO ONE WILL SHUT, AND WHO SHUTS AND NO ONE OPENS, says this:”}}

Jesus introduces Himself here as the holy and true One, and as the One holding the key of David. Holiness and truth were qualities valued by the Christians at Philadelphia.

Sardis came out of the Roman Catholic Church (was done last message). Revolting against empty orthodox piety and the unreality and falseness of the great ecclesiastical systems, many Christians of that period discovered the truth and reality for which they yearned, in the Person of Christ - and that is still applicable today. People long for that which is real and true, and many reject the churches because of the unreality and insincerity which resides in them. If our Lord’s character is holy and true, His people should also be imitating their perfect Example and their lives should be marked by the same characteristics.