As we all know, the church of Philadelphia prophesied in the Book of Revelation is a church that is raptured before the great disasters. Nowadays, disasters are everywhere, and only by finding the church of Philadelphia will we be able to be raptured up before the throne of God before the great disasters arrive. Do you know what features distinguish the church of Philadelphia? And how can we find this church? Let us discuss and explore this issue below.
It is prophesied in the Book of Revelation, “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write … Because you have kept the word of My patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come on all the world, to try them that dwell on the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which you have, that no man take your crown. Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God: and I will write on him My new name. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 3: 7–13). We can see from this passage that the church of Philadelphia will have three features.
The first feature is something like this: “I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God … and I will write on him My new name.” As we know, the Book of Revelation is a book of prophecies, and “My new name” clearly refers to the Lord having a new name when He returns, and since He has a new name, He cannot be called “Jesus” again—this is for certain. Therefore, that which the people of the church of Philadelphia pray to and call on will not be the name “Jesus,” but rather it will be God’s name in the new age. It is just like when the Lord Jesus came to perform His work in the beginning, when those who accepted His redemption no longer called on the name of Jehovah God, but instead prayed in the name of the Lord Jesus. We can therefore be sure that the church of Philadelphia will be the church that accepts God’s new name. This is the first feature of the church of Philadelphia.
The second feature is that the church listens to “what the Spirit says to the churches.” This means that, when the Lord Jesus returns, He will speak more words to the churches, He will open the small scroll for mankind, and all He says will be new. The church of Philadelphia, therefore, will be the church that accepts God’s newest utterances, and those in the church will be able to obtain the watering and provision of the present words of God, just as it says in the prophecy, “And also on the servants and on the handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit” (Joel 2:29). This is the second feature of the church of Philadelphia.
The final feature is just as it says in the verse, “Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out.” We can see from this that overcomers will arise in the church of Philadelphia. These overcomers are able to follow God’s way, and no matter what situation they find themselves in, they are always able to forsake their flesh and live by God’s words. Ultimately, they are no longer bound by the many and varied corrupt dispositions of Satan, and they bear powerful testimony before Satan. There are some who, even under the persecution of the satanic regime, are not constrained by death and who refuse to betray God even at the cost of their own lives. Such people bear the victorious and resounding testimony in the face of Satan’s evil forces—they are the overcomers God will make in the last days. Therefore, whatever church that can produce a group of overcomers is the church of Philadelphia. This is the third feature of the church of Philadelphia.
By looking at the three features above, we can know that the church that can accept God’s new name, that can hear God’s voice and obtain the watering and provision of God’s new words, and that can produce a group of overcomers is without a doubt the church of Philadelphia. Conversely, any church that does not recognize God’s voice, that does not accept what the Holy Spirit says to the churches, and that does not accept God’s new name, is definitely not the church of Philadelphia.
Only by finding the church of Philadelphia can we be raptured before the great disasters. So where exactly is the church of Philadelphia? Actually, the church of Philadelphia has arisen already, and it is Eastern Lightning that everyone has heard about—it is The Church of Almighty God. Almighty God’s words say, “The church of Philadelphia has taken shape, which is entirely due to the grace and mercy of God. Love for God arises in the hearts of the myriad saints, who do not waver on their spiritual journey. They hold fast to their belief that the one true God has become flesh, that He is the Head of the universe, who commands all things: This is confirmed by the Holy Spirit, it is as immovable as the mountains! And it shall never change!” The church that has arisen from the appearance and work of Almighty God has precisely fulfilled the prophecies in Revelation concerning the church of Philadelphia. We can be certain of this by looking at the below three points.
1. God’s new name. The Church of Almighty God testifies that the Lord has returned already, and that He is called Almighty God. “The Almighty” is mentioned in many verses in Revelation. For example, the Book of Revelation 1:8 says, “I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, said the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 19:6 says, “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunder, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God Almighty reigns.” And in many verses, such as Revelation 16:14, it is prophesied that the Lord’s new name shall be “the Almighty,” meaning Almighty God. We can therefore be certain that the name “Almighty God” is indeed God’s new name as prophesied in Revelation, and that it is the name of God as He works in the last days.
With respect to this point, let us read a passage of Almighty God’s words, “I was once known as Jehovah. I was also called the Messiah, and people once called Me Jesus the Savior with love and esteem. Today, however, I am no longer the Jehovah or Jesus that people knew in times past; I am the God who has returned in the last days, the God who shall bring the age to an end. I am the God Himself that rises up from the end of the earth, replete with My entire disposition, and full of authority, honor, and glory. People have never engaged with Me, never known Me, and have always been ignorant of My disposition. From the creation of the world until today, not one person has seen Me. This is the God who appears to man in the last days but is hidden among man. He resides among man, true and real, like the burning sun and the blazing flame, filled with power and brimming with authority. There is not a single person or thing that shall not be judged by My words, and not a single person or thing that shall not be purified through the burning of fire. Eventually, all nations shall be blessed because of My words, and also smashed to pieces because of My words. In this way, all people during the last days shall see that I am the Savior returned, and that I am the Almighty God that conquers all of mankind. And all shall see that I was once the sin offering for man, but that in the last days I also become the flames of the sun that incinerate all things, as well as the Sun of righteousness that reveals all things. This is My work in the last days. I took this name and am possessed of this disposition so that all people may see that I am a righteous God, the burning sun, the blazing flame, and so that all may worship Me, the one true God, and so that they may see My true face: I am not only the God of the Israelites, and I am not just the Redeemer; I am the God of all creatures throughout the heavens and the earth and the seas.” Almighty God’s words show us that whether He is called Jehovah, Jesus, or the Messiah, He is always God Himself, and that these are just different names He takes in different ages. Similarly, in the last days, the Lord Jesus has returned in the flesh and changed His name, and has taken the new name of Almighty God. This is because in the last days, God will do the work of separating each person according to their kind and of rewarding the good and punishing the wicked, and He will save man from sin once and for all and bring God’s six-thousand-year management plan to save mankind to an end. In the last days, therefore, God will reveal Himself to man in His righteous, majestic, wrathful disposition that tolerates no offense and make His inherent disposition and what He has and is open to all. God therefore takes a name that can represent His disposition—the all-powerful almighty God Himself—so that all of mankind may see His authority and power. Mankind can see that not only can God create all things, but that He can rule all things as well, and see that not only can God become a sin offering for man, but that He can also transform and purify man; He is the First and the Last, and no one can fathom His wondrousness and deeds. This tells us that Almighty God is the Lord Jesus returned, the unique God Himself, and that The Church of Almighty God that has arisen from the appearance and work of Almighty God is indeed the church of Philadelphia as prophesied in the Bible.
2. What the Spirit says to the churches. The Lord Jesus once prophesied, “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come” (John 16:12–13). “And if any man hear My words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejects Me, and receives not My words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:47–48). “Sanctify them through Your truth: Your word is truth” (John 17:17). These verses tell us that when the Lord returns, He will express the truth and perform the work of judging and purifying man. Although we may have accepted redemption from the Lord Jesus, we have not been freed from the shackles of sin and we live constantly in a state of sinning and confessing. Because of this, in order to save us from sin once and for all, and on the foundation of the Lord Jesus’ work of redemption, in the last days God expresses millions of words and launches the work of judgment beginning with the house of God. He does this so that man may be completely purified and freed from the shackles of sin. Thus, the appearance and work of Almighty God precisely fulfill the prophecies made by the Lord Jesus.
We will have a better understanding of this after we have read a passage of Almighty God’s words. Almighty God says, “Christ of the last days uses a variety of truths to teach man, to expose the substance of man, and to dissect the words and deeds of man. These words comprise various truths, such as man’s duty, how man should obey God, how man should be loyal to God, how man ought to live out normal humanity, as well as the wisdom and the disposition of God, and so on. These words are all directed at the substance of man and his corrupt disposition. In particular, the words that expose how man spurns God are spoken in regard to how man is an embodiment of Satan, and an enemy force against God. In undertaking His work of judgment, God does not simply make clear the nature of man with a few words; He exposes, deals with, and prunes over the long term. All these different methods of exposure, dealing, and pruning cannot be substituted with ordinary words, but with the truth of which man is utterly bereft. Only methods such as these can be called judgment; only through judgment of this kind can man be subdued and thoroughly convinced about God, and moreover gain true knowledge of God. What the work of judgment brings about is man’s understanding of the true face of God and the truth about his own rebelliousness. The work of judgment allows man to gain much understanding of the will of God, of the purpose of God’s work, and of the mysteries that are incomprehensible to him. It also allows man to recognize and know his corrupt essence and the roots of his corruption, as well as to discover the ugliness of man. These effects are all brought about by the work of judgment, for the essence of this work is actually the work of opening up the truth, the way, and the life of God to all those who have faith in Him. This work is the work of judgment done by God.”
Almighty God’s words show us that He uses many different aspects of the truth to judge and to purify us, and He tells us all the truths we need to obtain full salvation as corrupt mankind, such as “Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth,” “Are You a True Believer in God?” “To Whom Are You Loyal?” “Those Who Are Incompatible With Christ Are Surely Opponents of God,” “A Very Serious Problem: Betrayal (1),” “A Very Serious Problem: Betrayal (2),” “You Should Put Aside the Blessings of Status and Understand God’s Will to Bring Salvation to Man,” and many more. Moreover, Almighty God unveils the mysteries of God’s six-thousand-year management to save mankind, such as “You Should Know How the Whole of Humanity Has Developed to the Present Day,” “Knowing the Three Stages of God’s Work Is the Path to Knowing God,” “The Work in the Age of Law,” “The True Story Behind the Work of the Age of Redemption,” “The Mystery of the Incarnation (1–4),” and so on. He also reveals His promises to man and how He determines the ends and destinations for man, such as “Restoring the Normal Life of Man and Taking Him to a Wonderful Destination,” “God and Man Will Enter Into Rest Together,” “No One Who Is of the Flesh Can Escape the Day of Wrath,” “Transgressions Will Lead Man to Hell,” and more. The words expressed by Almighty God are recorded in the book The Word Appears in the Flesh. These truths reveal the mysteries of God’s several thousand years of management of mankind, and they show us the way to be purified and to attain full salvation. Let us think about it: If these utterances were not from the Holy Spirit, would we be able to understand this matter? Besides the Holy Spirit and besides God, who else could utter such words? Who else could reveal these truths and mysteries? Who else could express these truths to save and purify mankind? This is sufficient to show that the word of Almighty God is the word of judgment expressed by God in the last days, truly Almighty God’s words are what the Holy Spirit says to the churches in the last days, and The Word Appears in the Flesh expressed by Almighty God is the small scroll that was prophesied in the Book of Revelation.
3. God has already made a group of overcomers. Almighty God expresses the truth and performs the work of judgment in the last days primarily in order to make a group of overcomers. All of God’s chosen people who pursue the truth and undergo the judgment and chastisement of Almighty God’s words have clearly seen the truth of their own corruption at Satan’s hands; they are able to truly know all the various corrupt dispositions of Satan that lie within them, and they are willing to forsake their flesh and truly repent. Ultimately, they become able to put God’s words into practice, conduct themselves in accordance with the truth, and obey and revere God, meaning that they have overcome Satan’s dark influence. Just as Almighty God’s words say, “I have previously said that a group of overcomers are gained from the East, overcomers who come from amid the great tribulation. What is meant by these words? They mean that these people who have been gained only truly obeyed after undergoing judgment and chastisement, and dealing and pruning, and all kinds of refinement. The belief of these people is not vague and abstract, but real. They have not seen any signs and wonders, or any miracles; they do not speak of abstruse letters and doctrines, or profound insights; instead they have reality, and the words of God, and a true knowledge of the reality of God.” They have undergone the judgment and chastisement of Almighty God’s words, their life dispositions are transformed to varying degrees, and they bear testimony to having rid themselves of arrogance and conceitedness, to being honest people, to having cast off the chains of being agreeable “yes men,” to having freed themselves from jealousy, and more. These testimonies are the fruit of God’s chosen people after they have experienced the judgment and chastisement of God’s words. Besides this, there are also many people who face being cruelly persecuted by the satanic regime, who are able to take no thought to their own lives and who, with almost no hope for their own survival, rely on the guidance of Almighty God’s words and bear resounding testimony that overcomes Satan for God’s sake. These overcomers’ testimonies have now long been available for all to see online, and they openly testify to all the world that Almighty God is the Lord Jesus returned. We can see from this that a group of overcomers has already arisen within The Church of Almighty God. These things are the crystallization of God’s work in the last days, and they are the exact fulfillment of the prophecy in Revelation that says, “Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out” (Revelation 3:12).
We can see from the above fellowship that Almighty God’s work in the last days exactly fulfills the prophecy in Revelation that says, “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write … Because you have kept the word of My patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come on all the world, to try them that dwell on the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which you have, that no man take your crown. Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God: and I will write on him My new name. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 3:7–13). The Word Appears in the Flesh as expressed by Almighty God is what the Spirit says to the churches, the hidden manna. The name of Almighty God is God’s new name and all who pray and call in the name of Almighty God and who accept the guidance of Almighty God’s words will all be raptured before God’s throne. These people all have the chance to accept the judgment and purification of Almighty God’s words, and they will ultimately gain the truth and become the overcomers who are made before the disasters. The appearance and work of Almighty God precisely fulfill the prophecies in Revelation, and this is proof that The Church of Almighty God is the church of Philadelphia.
Almighty God has now made a group of overcomers and God’s work to save mankind is nearing its end—the gate of grace will soon close. So, now that you are faced with the work of Almighty God, what will you choose?