“The kingdom” mentioned numerous times in Scripture is a governmental entity ruled by Almighty God according to His Law/Word/Gospel/Truth.  At the present time it is located in heaven and is referred to as “the Kingdom of Heaven.”  At a future time it will cover the globe “… as the waters cover the sea (bed)” (Hab. 2:14) and will be called the “Kingdom of God.”  At present an embryonic type of that kingdom exists on earth and is Biblically known as “the (one and only) Church of God”–not to be confused with the religious denomination.  This church is populated by God’s elect and Very Elect, a few of whom know, believe and obey His Word in letter and spirit.  However, there are those within that church who are not truly God’s servants.  We find then two groups within the true church: the “elect” and the “Very Elect.”  In the Revelation vision He is showing John, Jesus addresses these two groups as recorded in the third chapter.  Let us turn to the Apocalypse (“revealing”) in order to identify these two groups that are in operation today as the end of this era comes to a close and the return of Jesus Christ to earth draws neigh.

In Revelation 1:19,20 Jesus instructs the Apostle John to write letters to seven churches located in the area known today as the nation of Turkey.  These churches existed in seven cities located along a Roman mail route during the days of Apostle John.  These congregations represented the seven eras of God’s church that, beginning in 31 A.D., would rise to prominence, remain there for a length of time before fading away as a next era (church) rose to prominence.  The final church era will be in existence at the return of Jesus Christ.  At the time of John’s vision each church exhibited the characteristics of the Christian era it would represent in the future.  As one era came to a close a remnant of that church would continue on into the following era until the last of its parishioners died out.  Then the new era would dominate the religious scene until it gave way to the next era.  This process would continue throughout the history of the church.  In each era a remnant would reject the path of the dominant group and walk with the Lord.  These God calls His “remnant” who stay His course by believing and obeying His original Word.  The last two churches, representing the last two eras, would be on the scene during the final days of the church age.  This would be “the time of the end” when “the vision” would be given (Dan. 8:17).  These two churches would be existing when the world entered the Great Tribulation.  We are living in those days.  This generation will witness the end of that age, the Great Tribulation, the Day of the Lord, the return of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the saints, the establishment of the global Kingdom of God and the beginning of the Millennium.

On the Day of Pentecost 31 A.D. the embryonic Kingdom of God, numbering about 120 true believers, suddenly came into being with a visible and audible move of God’s Holy Spirit.  A tiny remnant–the spiritual descendants of that church, continues to exist today as each generation of true believers passed the Lord’s torch to the next generation.  Though Satan has tried desperately to destroy that remnant, He has failed.  Jesus proclaimed that He would build His church and “… the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Mat. 16:18).  Though Satan has tried throughout eacj church to destroy her, a remnant has always been able to resist him.  Today we find an obedient remnant still clinging to His Word.  This is the miniature version of the Kingdom of God that will one day cover the earth like water covers a sea bed.  We will now examine that kingdom in real life and in real time.

The last two eras of the age, represented by the last two churches to whom John was instructed to write, are now in existence.  The final church is in full bloom at this time relative to numbers.  A remnant of the previous church, though tiny by comparison, is doing the work of God while the larger group only believes that it is doing that work.  Anciently those churches were known as the church at Philadelphia and the church at Laodicea.  Let us see how Jesus characterized them individually in His letters to them.  Beginning in Revelation 3:7 we find Jesus speaking to the Church of Philadelphia.  He praises that Philadelphians for their faith and steadfastness relative to His Word.  He congratulates them for the works they performed and the fact that they had overcome Satan’s attempt to “take your (their) crown.”

Then beginning in 3:14 we read what Jesus said to the Church of Laodicea–the final church (era).  One will find that He basically says the opposite of what He had said to the Philadelphians.  Please read Revelation 3:7-22 so as to understand what is going on in the church world–the Laodicean era–today as we approach the Great Tribulation.  God promised to take His obedient saints–the Philadelphians–to a place of safety before the terror begins (Rev. 12:6,14).  He also promises to cast the Laodiceans (false saints) into the 3 1/2 year long time of terror, destruction and death known Scripturally as the Great Tribulation (2 1/2 years) and the Day of the Lord (1 year).

Bear in mind that Revelation 3:7-22 is not referring to those within today’s Catholic and Protestant Church who ARE NOT GOD’S PEOPLE.  Their church system is owned and operated by Satan.  This passage was written to and about the Church of God which has both Philadelphians and Laodiceans within its membership.  The back-slidden Laodiceans comprise the vast majority within God’s church.  These people know His Truth and at one time believed and obeyed it.  Satan, however, has lured them away from the Lord and has taken their crown.  The fact that they continue to be part of God’s church is revealed by Jesus Christ Himself.  Recall that the wheat and tares remain together until harvest time (Mat. 13:24-43), and that good fish and bad fish remain together until being gathered, and that good fruit trees and bad fruit trees remain together until time of the fruit harvest, which will take place following the return of Jesus.  For a detailed description of the separation process and its aftermath read The Church, the Gospel and the Goats.  Key word–Goats.  The focal passages of that series are Matthew 24:30,31 and 25:31-46.  Note that the Messiah identifies both goats and sheep as His people (24:30,31).  In the next chapter He details how the two groups are separated and judged.  Note in 25:31-33 that the separation of sheep from goats takes place at the time of judgment, not during their previous lives when they will have been together in their owner’s pasture.  The same procedure is followed relative to the wheat and tares, good and bad fish and good and bad fruit trees.

My purpose in writing to those in the Institutional Church is that some in that institution might hear God’s call, embrace His Word and Way, come out of “that unclean thing” (2 Cor. 6:14–7:1) and be “cleansed of all filthiness of the flesh and spirit by perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (7:1).  Such salvation-producing holiness can be attained only by coming out of traditional Christianity and embracing the Word of God, believing it and obeying it.  There is no other way.

This cleansing and being filled with God’s Spirit can only take place in the Church of God–the Kingdom of God in embryo.  Only there can one find the Truth of God being taught and demonstrated.  It is there that one qualifies for salvation by obeying God’s unedited, unfiltered, uninterpreted Word, which is God in written form.  Jesus of Nazareth–the “Word made flesh” (Jn. 1:1-4,14)–was the Word of God in physical form.  In order to receive eternal life we must also be God’s Word in the flesh; we must “walk as He (Jesus) walked” (1 Jn. 2:6); we must “purify ourselves as He is pure” (1 Jn. 3:3); we must “Overcome (Satan) even as He overcame (him)” (Rev. 3:21); we must continually purify ourselves “by the washing by the water by the Word” of God (Eph. 5:26).  Only in the true Church of God is this possible.  God’s tiny church, which is rejected by the religious community and in some places does not exist, is the only church in which God can be found.  Recall that Jesus said that “Where two or three come together in My name, there I am in the midst of you.”  For this reason Jesus called those in His church His “little flock.”  There are only a few thousand true believers–saints (holy ones)–scattered throughout the world.  It is not unusual for one to be totally alone in his/her walk with the Lord.  God’s true saints are not popular.  Read Persecution, using that word as the key term.

The world is filled with religious people who attend church, wear crosses, quote Scripture, preach, evangelize, do mission work, etc.   However, they do not believe and obey God’s Word.  Satan has deceived them into believing that his Catholic/Protestant church is God’s true church, and that he (Satan) is in reality the true God.  Adam and Eve were his first converts.  Not knowing the Scriptures, the vast majority of professing Christendom has entered Satan’s wide gate and is walking his broad path leading to death, all the while “knowing” that they are one with God.  Few, Jesus said, would enter His strait (difficult) gate and walk his narrow (exclusive) path leading to eternal life (Mat. 7:13,14).  Read God is a Segregationist.  Key word–Segregationist.  Like John the Baptist, God’s ministers are voices crying out in the wilderness.  John ministered in the physical wilderness of Judea.  We minister in the spiritual wilderness that is modern Christianity.  Like John, we do not have large followings.  For Catholics and Protestants, Christ’s death profits them nothing.  Recall that Jesus told His hand-picked disciples that He would die (ONLY) for His friends, and that they–the disciples–were His friends (ONLY) “… IF you do whatsoever I command you.”  Those in God’s true church are His friends for whom He died ONLY IF THEY OBEY HIS WORD/LAW/GOSPEL/TRUTH.  These are His Very Elect who will “scarcely (barely) be saved” (1 Pet. 4:17,18).  In Matthew 24:24 Jesus warned that even the Very Elect can be deceived.  Those who do not obey Him are cut off from Him and are low hanging fruit for Satan.  The embryonic Kingdom of God is the place where we learn to obey, learn what to obey and learn how to obey it.  Those who reject these Biblical Truths and call themselves Christians are “deceiving themselves” (Gal. 6:3/ 2 Tim. 3:13/ Jam. 1:22).  L.J.