The Church at Laodicea
       A Lukewarm Church

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.

The promise is that the Philadelphia Church shall not pass through the Tribulation.

                         Is this not more proof that the Church shall be 'caught out' before the Tribulation?

The Church of Philadelphia
        was to be kept from the Hour of Temptation

Tribulation, that shall come upon all the world, and as there has never as yet been a worldwide Tribulation, this Hour of Tribulation must still be future and refers doubtless to the Great Tribulation that is to come upon the whole world, just before the return of the Lord to set up His Millennial Kingdom.

The Church of Philadelphia
       had set before it an 'open door'

            A door no man could shut.
This promise was made by Him, who  hath the Key of David, He that openeth and no man shutteth; and shutteth and no man openeth.

The Church of Philadelphia had a "little strength."

                        It was like a person coming back to life who was still very weak. It was the 'dead' Sardis Church revived. And revivals have been characteristic of the Philadelphia Period.

There is no question about the meaning of the word Philadelphia.

                   It means 'Brotherly Love," and describes the charity and brotherly fellowship that consumed the personal animosities that characterized those of the Sardis Period and made possible the evangelistic and missionary works of the last century or more.

The Promise to the Church of Philadelphia

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.
Because thou hast kept the word of My Patience, I also will keep thee from the Hour of Tribulation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Behold, I come quickly, hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of My God, and the name of the City of My God, which is New Jerusalem,which cometh down out of Heaven from My God: and I will write upon him My New Name.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches.

The Commendation to the Church of Philadelphia
       
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.

The Church at Philadelphia
        A Favored Church

And to the Angel of the Church of 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.

While the reformers did away with much ritual and doctrinal rubbish, they didn't recover the promise of Jesus' Second Coming.

                      They turned to God from idols but not to wait for His Son from Heaven.

The Reformation began with Martin Luther's Theses, but it was more of a struggle for political liberty than a Christian or religious movement.

                  It had the advantage of circulating the Bibles that had been a sealed book, and a revival of the Doctrine of 'justification by faith' and a reversion to more simple ways of worship.

The conditions during the Papal Church became intolerable and came to a crisis when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the church door at Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517.

The meaning of the word "Sardis" is the escaping one, or those who came out and so it is an excellent type of the Church of the Reformation Period.

                     That's the period in history of the Christian Church when Marin Luther and a number of other reformers protested against the false teaching, tyranny and claims of the Papal Church.

The Church at Sardis
       was called a 'Dead Church' though it had a name to live.

       It was a formalistic church, a church given over to formal or ritualistic worship.

           It had the form or godliness without the power.

The Promise to the Church of Sardis

Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches.

The Warning to the Church of Sardis

If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

The Counsel to the Church of Sardis

Be watchfull and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent.

The  Condemnation of the Church at Sardis

I know thy works, that thou hast aname that thou livest and art dead.