The Message to the Church in Philadelphia
A Deeper Dive Into the Book of Revelation - Part 73
The Age of Sanctification
“And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘These are the words of the Holy One, the True One’”—Revelation 3:7 (AMP)
Jesus gave a personal greeting to each of the seven churches. Each greeting was carefully chosen, highlighting the particular aspects of Himself that were most relevant to the condition and the situation of the church He was addressing.
To the Philadelphia Church, He identified Himself as the One Who is Holy, the One Who is True.
The previous church age had been an age of Justification during which the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith was restored.
The Philadelphia Church Age was an age of Sanctification. It was an age in which holy living and discipleship were restored to the Church. The Church was moving on from the Outer Court into the Holy Place. This would be vital preparation before the church moves into the Age of Glorification during the final years of the Laodicean Church Age to experience the greatest transformation of all in the Holy of Holies.
The Sardis Church Age, the Age of Luther, led the Church into the Feast of Passover to experience Justification. The Philadelphia Church Age would lead the Church into the Feast of Pentecost to experience Sanctification. The Laodicean Church Age will lead the Overcomers of the Church into the Feast of Tabernacles to experience Glorification through transfiguration to become living Arks of the Covenant of God, carrying the manifested presence of God in their bodies upon earth with His authority and power.
In His greeting to the Philadelphia Church, Jesus identifies Himself as the Sanctifier. He is the Holy One who sanctifies us in His Truth because He is Truth.
It is during the Philadelphia Church Age in which Jesus is following through on the promise to the Overcomers in the previous Church age. He is washing the robes of the Overcomers who will respond to His leading. He is preparing His Bride to “walk with Him in white.” It is during this age that Jesus is focused on removing every spot, every wrinkle, and every stain from the spiritual clothing of His Bride.
“so that He might sanctify the church, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word [of God], so that [in turn] He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy [set apart for God] and blameless.”—Ephesians 5:26-27 (AMP)
The Philadelphia Church Age lasted from about 1750 to 1906 and the Azusa Street Revival. There were many wonderful ministers of God who were mightily used during this age, but the primary messenger to the Philadelphia Church Age was most likely John Wesley.
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