Philadelphia – A.D 1750 - Rapture

Philadelphia – A.D 1750 - Rapture

The character of the church at Philadelphia is a fair outline of the church period from A.D. 1750 - Rapture. This period in church history was characterized by revivals that began with George Whitefield in A.D. 1739, followed by John Wesley, Charles G. Finney, and D.L. Moody. In 1793, God opened a door for William Carey to preach the gospel in India. It was followed by other young people whom the Spirit of God touched, and the present-day “Faith Missionary Movement” was begun; with such men as Adoniram Judson, David Livingstone, Jonathan Goforth, and literally thousands of other people, going out to Africa, China, Japan, Korea, India, South America, and the islands of the sea.

1. One factor that led to the great missionary movement was the printing of the Bible in the language of the people and the natural tendency of the ordinary individual to take the Bible literally.

2. The second factor that contributed to this missionary movement was the increased interest in the study of the doctrine of the second coming of our Lord. Around 1800 the doctrine of the premillennial return of Christ, which had been all but dead since the end of the third century, was revived.

Spirit-filled servants of Christ went through various countries like firebrands of the Lord, calling on sinners to repent and saints to awaken from their spiritual slumbering state they were in. The evangelicals preached the truth concerning the church and Christ’s coming, and the worldwide missionary outreach. Satan also made a determined effort to leaven the church with legalism, ritualism, and rationalism.

PARABLE OF THE PEARL (Matthew 13:45-46)

The merchant is the Lord Jesus, and the pearl of great price is the church. At Calvary He sold all that He had to buy this pearl. As the pearl comes out of the sea, so the church, sometimes called the Gentile bride of Christ, comes largely from the nations. The church will reign with Christ over the renewed earth.

MYSTERY OF THE JEW & GENTILE IN ONE BODY (Ephesians 3:3-9)

This mystery was a hidden truth that was later revealed in the New Testament by Jesus Christ to the apostle Paul; the Jew and Gentile brought together in one body in the Messiah (1 Corinthians 15:51; Colossians 1:27; 1 Timothy 3:16). There would be no racial, social, or spiritual distinctions. The church will reign with Christ over the entire universe, sharing His glory (Ephesians 1:22-23).

MYSTERY OF THE INDWELLING OF CHRIST (Colossians 1:26-27)

This mystery was revealed in the Old Testament (Isaiah 42:6, 45:21-22, 49:6, 52:10, 60:1-3; Psalms 22:27, 65:5, 98:2-3), but it was not revealed that Christ would actually live in each member of His redeemed church. That both Jew and Gentile believers, now possess the surpassing riches of the indwelling Christ is the glorious revealed mystery (John 14:23; Romans 8:9-10; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 1:7, 17-18, 3:8-10, 16-19). The indwelling Spirit of Christ is the guarantee to each believer of future glory (Romans 8:11; Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 Peter 1:3-4).

MYSTERY OF GOD (Romans 16:25)

This mystery is that God through His Son Jesus would provide salvation to both Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 3:3-9). It was unknown in the Old Testament Scriptures, but has now been revealed in the prophetic Scriptures of the New Testament (Ephesians 2:20; 3:5). The gospel is the truth that God would save and glorify sinners (1 Corinthians 2:6-8).

©2012 Kenute P. Curry. All rights reserved.