The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

love, in marked contrast with these two Churches, as picturing that movement in which
the brotherhood of God's saints is being more clearly made manifest. As already noted,
Philadelphia does not seem to represent any system or organization, but rather that
movement of the Spirit, the object of which is to emphasize the oneness of all true
believers as children of the one Father, having one Lord and Master, one faith, one
baptism, members of the one Body, united together by the one Spirit in the bond of peace.
As there is not one single thing in Laodicea to commend, Philadelphian conditions in
Laodicea must not be looked for in an organized state, but rather as a condition manifested
by individual believers both inside and outside of the organized professions. It is very
apparent from the teaching of other Scriptures that all the true and overcoming believers
in the Laodicean period will not be found in one organization of their own. This seems
apparent from the fact that every religious organization, as such, will at last be "found
wanting" and will go down in the closing scenes of the "hour of trial that is to try those
who dwell on the earth." Therefore, all attempts to accomplish such a binding together will
of necessity fail. The true overcomers will be lovers and defenders of God's Word,
confessors of everything that is comprehended in "His name," and free from human
bondages. Beyond all this, they will recognize and fellowship and cooperate in service, so
far as they are permitted, with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus they will be
manifesting in its fullness the Philadelphian spirit of brotherly love. This latter state or
condition has always described the "more than overcomers" of all ages, and will continue
to describe them in the rejected Laodicean period, even until the end.
Though the Savior in His message to Philadelphia expresses hearty commendation, we
must not gather from this that there were no unfavorable conditions with which this
Church had to contend and which they were required to overcome. However we find in
the message special emphasis is given to the need for overcoming in one particular
direction. It is contained in the solemn and Divine warning of the Savior: "Hold that fast
which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." The overcoming, then, is represented in
holding fast the Philadelphian character of love--brotherly love. This is that which even
now in Laodicea is trying, testing, proving, the hearts of those who claim to possess so
much of Truth. Let the followers of Christ now living take heed, then, that they are found
to be true Philadelphians, though they do not belong in the prophetic sense to that period,
which is in the past. Whatever other tests there may be--and there are other tests-whatever
more is required, the Philadelphian character, the spirit of brotherly love is the
great test, the final test. This test is not that of loyalty to a system, to an organization, to a
human agent, to a messenger, but loyalty to Christ, which will mean holding fast to the
Word, to the name, and to the patience of Christ. It will be . . .
". . . not the word of even the leaders of God's raising up. The truth must ever commend
the man, never the man the truth. One great danger is, lest, having begun with the former
principle, we slip into the latter. Even the truth they [the divinely called leaders] teach is
not truth received till it has been gotten at the Master's feet and in communion with
Himself--till you can hold it, not with the eyes shut, but with eyes open--till you can
maintain it for truth against the very instrument used of God to give it you, if need be. 'If