“Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.”

And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?”

So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.” (Luke 17:30-37).

To the church in Philadelphia, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown” (Revelation 3:10-11). Is God promising a pretribulation rapture? “The woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent” (Revelation 12:14). Would the scripture refer to a heavenly retreat as the wilderness?

Where is the church of Philadelphia? To answer that lets look at a parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way” (Matthew 13:24-25). There is two important lessons we need to glean from the parable. First, the kingdom of heaven exists now. “Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, ‘The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you’” (Luke 17:20-21). Second, there is no pure church body (except in the Spirit). The Philadelphia church is not in one administrative body. “I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.”

That brings up the question (again) of a pretribulation rapture. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:29-31). That sums it up very well. One of the seven churches, talked about in Revelations chapter one through three, will be protected from the from the presence of the serpent in the wilderness. All of the elect will be gathered at the return of Jesus Christ, after the tribulation.

Conclusion: be of the church of brotherly love ( Philadelphia). How? Love the Lord your God, love one another, love your neighbor and love your enemy. How? Read Matthew 25:31-40. “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me,” is the same, “will show you my faith by my works, (James 2:18)” that James teaches. “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me,” is the same love that Paul wrote of in First Corinthians thirteen. “Though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2). We are not on our own, God gives to us the love we need to overcome. “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). Praise the Lord our God!

© 2005 Tim D. Coulter Sr.