By Timothy Kitchen Jr
Jeremiah 14–15 and the Return to Philadelphia
The Scattering of God’s Church, the Three Unfruitful Grounds, the Laodicean Remnant, and the Promise That They Shall Go No More Out
INTRODUCTION
The People Who Wandered and the People Who Shall Never Wander Again
Throughout the Bible, God reveals spiritual lessons through the history of physical Israel.
Jerusalem, Judah, the Temple, the priesthood, the prophets, the captivity, and the return from Babylon establish patterns that illuminate God’s purpose for His Church.
Jeremiah chapters 14 and 15 present an account of a people who have wandered from God, a ministry that has failed to speak faithfully, a nation facing judgment, and a prophet standing before God.
When these chapters are considered alongside Zechariah 3 through 6, Matthew 13, Revelation 2 and 3, and Revelation 12, a remarkable spiritual picture emerges.
It is a picture of placement, displacement, correction, repentance, and permanent restoration.
But one connection brings the entire study into focus.
Jeremiah 14:10 declares:
“Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet…”
Yet Jesus Christ promises Philadelphia in Revelation 3:12:
“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out…”
Consider the contrast.
In Jeremiah, the people wander.
In Revelation, the overcomer is permanently established.
In Jeremiah, the people fail to restrain their feet.
In Revelation, the overcomer becomes a pillar that shall go no more out.
The beginning reveals displacement.
The ending reveals permanent placement.
Between these two conditions lies the story of God’s government, the scattering of His people, the preservation of His truth, the correction of the remnant, and the return to the foundation established by Jesus Christ.
This study considers those passages as connected spiritual patterns, while recognizing that Jeremiah’s immediate prophecy concerns Judah and Jerusalem in their historical setting.
The central question is:
If Jesus Christ stands in the midst of His Church, what happens when His people wander away from where He stands?
And what does He promise those who return, hold fast, and overcome?
1. CHRIST STANDING IN THE MIDST OF HIS CHURCH
Jeremiah 14:9
“Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not.”
Notice the declaration:
“Thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us.”
God is in the midst of His people.
Now consider Revelation 1:12–13.
John sees seven golden candlesticks, and in their midst stands one like unto the Son of man.
Revelation 1:20 identifies the seven candlesticks as the seven churches.
Jesus Christ stands in the midst of His Church.
He is its living Head.
He is its foundation.
He is its Chief Cornerstone.
Ephesians 2:20 declares:
“And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.”
The Church is not established upon the changing opinions of men.
Neither is it established merely upon physical buildings, corporate registrations, or organizational names.
Its foundation is Jesus Christ and the truth delivered through His apostles and prophets.
Within the understanding taught during the Philadelphia era of the Worldwide Church of God, this directs our attention to the truths restored through the work of Herbert W. Armstrong.
Christ opened a door before Philadelphia.
Christ directed the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
Christ restored truths that had been obscured or lost.
Christ established His government within the Church.
And Philadelphia was instructed to preserve what it had received.
The question is not simply whether people continue calling themselves Christians.
The question is whether they remain upon the foundation where Jesus Christ stands.
Jeremiah 14:9 reveals God in the midst of His people.
But the following verse reveals something terribly wrong.
2. THEY LOVED TO WANDER
Jeremiah 14:10
“Thus saith the LORD unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore the LORD doth not accept them; he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins.”
Consider the contrast.
Verse 9 declares that the LORD is in their midst.
Verse 10 declares that the people have loved to wander.
God was in their midst, but the people were wandering.
The problem was not that God had abandoned His purpose.
The problem was that His people had departed from His ways.
They had not restrained their feet.
They had become accustomed to wandering.
This provides a striking spiritual picture of what happened following the scattering of the Worldwide Church of God.
Congregations divided.
Organizations multiplied.
Ministers established separate administrations.
Brethren traveled from one fellowship to another, searching for a place to belong.
Some sought familiar teachings.
Others sought fellowship.
Others followed particular ministers.
Still others became discouraged and ceased assembling.
Yet the spiritual question remains:
Were the people returning to the foundation Christ had established, or were they continuing to wander from it?
Philadelphia was instructed to hold fast.
Revelation 3:11 declares:
“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”
Holding fast is the opposite of wandering.
Holding fast requires recognizing what God has already given.
The Philadelphia Church was not commanded to establish another foundation.
It was commanded to preserve what it had received.
The Gospel had been preached.
The government of God had been taught.
The purpose of human life had been revealed.
The plan of salvation had been proclaimed.
Yet the people scattered.
Jeremiah 14:10 reveals the spiritual danger of departing from what God has established.
And Revelation 3:12 reveals the final answer.
The people who loved to wander are contrasted with the overcomers who shall go no more out.
3. THE PROPHETS WHO PROMISED PEACE
Jeremiah 14:11–14
God tells Jeremiah:
“Pray not for this people for their good.”
God then describes the consequences coming upon the people.
But Jeremiah responds in verse 13:
“Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place.”
Jeremiah hears the claims of the prophets.
He sees the condition of the people.
And he brings those claims before God.
God answers in verse 14:
“Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them.”
Notice the order.
The prophets are speaking.
Jeremiah brings their words before God.
God answers Jeremiah concerning those prophets.
The issue is divine authority.
The authority to speak for God must come from God Himself.
A person may speak in God’s name without having received God’s message.
An assembly may possess a religious identity without faithfully preserving His Word.
A ministry may proclaim peace while failing to recognize the spiritual condition of the people.
The distinction is not established by outward appearance alone.
It is established by the Word of God.
This brings us to the pattern of divinely appointed messengers.
4. MOSES, THE ANGEL OF THE LORD, AND GOD’S APPOINTED MESSENGERS
Exodus 3; Acts 7; Haggai 1
Moses was appointed by God to deliver His people.
But how was he appointed?
Exodus 3:2 declares:
“And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush…”
God then speaks to Moses.
In Acts 7:35, Stephen explains:
“This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.”
Notice the relationship.
God sends Moses.
The Angel of the LORD is involved in that appointment.
Moses receives authority from God.
Acts 7:38 also describes Moses as being with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai.
Scripture distinguishes Moses from the Angel of the LORD who appeared to him.
Yet Moses himself served as God’s appointed messenger.
This distinction is important.
The word translated angel can mean messenger, and Scripture also applies the language of messenger to human servants appointed by God.
Haggai 1:13 declares:
“Then spake Haggai the LORD’S messenger in the LORD’S message unto the people…”
Haggai was a human prophet.
Yet he was called the LORD’s messenger.
He did not originate the message.
He delivered what God had given him.
This reveals the principle of divine government.
God appoints.
God sends.
God gives the message.
And His servant is responsible for delivering it faithfully.
The messenger is not greater than the One who sends him.
His authority depends upon remaining faithful to the message received.
This principle also helps us understand Revelation chapters 2 and 3.
Jesus Christ addresses the angels of the seven churches.
The messages originate with Christ.
Each Church is responsible for hearing what the Spirit says.
And the messenger must faithfully convey the instruction.
This same pattern appears in Zechariah 3, where Joshua the high priest stands before the Angel of the LORD.
God’s government proceeds from God.
It does not originate in human popularity, ambition, or self-appointment.
5. JEREMIAH STANDING BEFORE GOD
Jeremiah 14–15
Jeremiah is not merely observing the condition of the people.
He stands before God concerning them.
He receives God’s words.
He delivers God’s warnings.
And he remains accountable to the One who appointed him.
This directs our attention to Jeremiah 15:1.
“Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.”
God names two men.
Moses and Samuel.
Both stood before God on behalf of His people.
Both exercised authority given by God.
Both interceded concerning Israel.
Yet God declares that even their intercession would not reverse the judgment He had determined.
The passage establishes both the importance and the limits of appointed human servants.
They may stand before God.
They may intercede.
They may deliver His Word.
But God’s will remains supreme.
Now consider Zechariah 4.
Two olive trees.
Two olive branches.
Two anointed ones.
Zechariah 4:14 declares:
“These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”
Revelation 11:4 similarly describes the two witnesses:
“These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.”
The repeated picture is significant.
God appoints servants to stand before Him in connection with His people and His work.
Moses and Samuel reveal the pattern of intercession and divine appointment.
Jeremiah stands before God as His prophet.
Zechariah reveals two anointed ones.
Revelation reveals two witnesses.
These passages direct our attention toward God’s government during times of correction, judgment, and restoration.
Yet standing before God does not mean that the servant can change God’s judgment according to human preference.
God’s purpose remains His own.
And in Jeremiah 15, that purpose includes the scattering.
6. THE VIRGIN DAUGHTER BROKEN BY A GREAT BREACH
Jeremiah 14:17
“Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them; Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease: for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous blow.”
God describes His people as a virgin daughter.
This language directs us toward the New Testament Church.
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 11:2:
“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
The Church is preparing to become the Bride of Jesus Christ.
Yet Jeremiah describes the virgin daughter as broken.
There has been a great breach.
A grievous blow has fallen upon her.
What a picture of the scattering of God’s Church!
A people once gathered under one government, one teaching, and one worldwide work became divided.
The breach was not merely organizational.
It affected families.
It affected congregations.
It affected friendships.
It affected the spiritual understanding of brethren.
And it affected their ability to recognize the foundation upon which they had been established.
Many continued observing the Sabbath and Holy Days.
Many continued using teachings they had received.
Many continued calling themselves the Church of God.
Yet the breach remained.
The virgin daughter was broken, but God’s purpose for His Church had not ended.
The Bride must still be prepared.
The foundation must still be preserved.
And the scattered must still recognize the call to return.
7. THE FOUR ENDS OF THE SCATTERING
Jeremiah 15:2
God declares:
“Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity.”
Four ends are identified.
Death.
Sword.
Famine.
Captivity.
In Jeremiah’s immediate historical setting, these describe judgments coming upon Judah.
But when examined as a spiritual pattern alongside the parable of the sower, another connection appears.
Jesus Christ describes four types of ground in Matthew 13.
Yet only three fail to produce fruit.
The fourth is good ground.
This distinction is important.
The good ground does not represent another destructive end for those who have wandered from God. It represents the condition of those in whom His Word becomes established and produces fruit.
Therefore, the four ends in Jeremiah should not simply be matched with the four grounds as though each represented the same outcome.
Instead, the three unfruitful grounds can be compared with three conditions of spiritual displacement.
Death then stands apart as the ultimate consequence of remaining unrepentant.
The connections are thematic rather than an explicit interpretation supplied by Jeremiah or Matthew.
But they reveal a coherent spiritual pattern.
8. CAPTIVITY — THE WAYSIDE
Matthew 13:4, 19
Jesus Christ describes the seed falling by the wayside.
The birds come and devour it.
Christ explains:
“Then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart.”
Notice who takes the seed.
Satan.
The Word is taken away before it can become established.
This presents a picture of spiritual captivity.
The individual hears the Word, but Satan removes it.
The truth does not become rooted.
And without that truth becoming established, the person remains vulnerable to spiritual bondage.
Second Timothy 2:26 declares:
“And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”
Here captivity is directly associated with Satan’s influence.
The connection is significant.
The wayside corresponds with captivity because Satan takes away the Word that was sown.
The person does not retain the seed.
The truth is removed.
And the individual remains vulnerable to the influence of the one who has taken it away.
Consider those who received the restored truths during the Philadelphia era.
The seed was sown.
The Gospel was preached.
The foundation was revealed.
Yet following the scattering, some lost their understanding of the very truths they had once received.
The seed was taken away.
This is the spiritual condition represented by captivity.
But captivity need not be permanent.
Second Timothy 2:26 speaks of recovering oneself from the snare of the devil.
There remains an opportunity for repentance.
There remains an opportunity to return.
9. THE SWORD — THE STONY GROUND
Matthew 13:5–6, 20–21
The second unfruitful ground is stony.
The seed springs up quickly.
But it has no sufficient root.
When the sun rises, the plant is scorched.
Christ explains:
“Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.”
Here the connection with the sword becomes apparent.
The sword represents conflict, persecution, and destruction.
The person receives the Word with joy.
But when persecution comes, the person cannot endure.
There is insufficient root.
The truth was received, but it was not deeply established.
This reflects the condition of those who are overcome when the sword comes against them.
The Word has not developed the roots necessary to withstand persecution.
The result is spiritual displacement.
The stony ground corresponds with the sword because persecution overcomes those whose roots are insufficient.
Philadelphia, by contrast, is commanded to hold fast.
Its strength comes from God.
It does not depend upon the absence of persecution.
It depends upon remaining faithful to the Word Christ has given.
The contrast is between those who endure and those who become offended when trials arise.
10. FAMINE — THE THORNY GROUND
Matthew 13:7, 22
The third unfruitful ground is filled with thorns.
The seed grows.
But the thorns grow with it.
Eventually, the thorns choke the plant.
Christ explains:
“He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”
This corresponds with famine.
The person hears the Word.
But the cares of this world consume the attention that should be given to spiritual growth.
The deceitfulness of riches competes with the truth.
The Word becomes choked.
The person becomes unfruitful.
This is a picture of spiritual famine.
Amos 8:11 declares:
“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.”
The connection is significant.
The Word may have been received, but it is no longer producing fruit.
The spiritual nourishment necessary for growth is being displaced by the cares of this world.
The thorny ground corresponds with famine because worldly concerns choke the Word and spiritual fruitfulness ceases.
This also connects with Laodicea.
Laodicea believes itself rich and increased with goods.
Yet Christ declares it spiritually poor.
The congregation possesses an appearance of abundance while lacking what it truly needs.
Material prosperity has become confused with spiritual wealth.
The Word is being choked by the very things Christ warned about in the parable.
11. DEATH — THE FINAL CONSEQUENCE OF REMAINING UNREPENTANT
Revelation 20:14–15
Now consider the fourth end.
Death.
Unlike the three unfruitful grounds, death can be examined in connection with the ultimate spiritual consequence of rejecting God.
Revelation 20:14 declares:
“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”
And Revelation 21:8 identifies the second death as the final judgment of those who remain in rebellion against God.
This establishes an important distinction.
Physical death is not necessarily evidence of spiritual failure.
Hebrews 11 describes faithful servants who died without receiving the promises.
Revelation 2:10 commands:
“Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”
Those who die in the faith have not lost their place in God’s purpose.
They await the resurrection.
Therefore, when Jeremiah’s four ends are considered as a spiritual pattern of judgment, death can be distinguished from the faithful who die awaiting the resurrection.
It can instead direct our attention toward the second death.
The second death represents final destruction after the opportunity for repentance has been rejected.
Captivity describes the Word being taken away.
The sword describes persecution overcoming those without sufficient root.
Famine describes the Word being choked by worldly concerns.
But death represents the ultimate end of those who finally refuse God’s way.
The first three conditions may still be followed by repentance.
The second death is final.
This also brings us to the promise given to the overcomer.
Revelation 2:11 declares:
“He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”
And Revelation 3:12 declares:
“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out…”
Consider the contrast.
One end is the second death.
The other is permanent placement in God’s Temple.
One is final destruction.
The other is eternal life.
One represents the ultimate consequence of rejecting God.
The other represents the reward of overcoming through Him.
The wandering may lead toward destruction, but the return to God leads toward permanent placement.
12. THE GOOD GROUND — THOSE WHO HOLD FAST
Matthew 13:23
Jesus Christ declares:
“But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
The good ground produces fruit.
It is not another destination of spiritual destruction.
It represents the condition God desires.
The Word is received.
It is understood.
It becomes established.
And it produces fruit.
This is the condition reflected in Philadelphia.
Revelation 3:8 declares:
“For thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.”
Philadelphia keeps the Word.
The good ground retains the seed.
Both reveal faithfulness.
And this brings us back to the promise of permanent placement.
Revelation 3:12:
“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out…”
The good ground produces fruit because the Word remains established.
Philadelphia holds fast because it keeps Christ’s Word.
And the overcomer receives permanent placement.
The seed remains. The roots develop. The fruit appears. And the overcomer shall go no more out.
13. MANASSEH: STRENGTHENED BY GOD, YET CAUSING TO FORGET
Jeremiah 15:4
Jeremiah 15:4 declares:
“And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.”
This verse contains a remarkable collection of names and meanings.
Manasseh carries the meaning of causing to forget.
Hezekiah means the LORD strengthens.
Manasseh was the son of Hezekiah.
He was also king of Judah.
He exercised rulership over the people.
Judah and Jerusalem, in this spiritual picture, direct our attention toward the government and ministry of God’s Church.
Jerusalem itself carries the association of peace.
And the Gospel preached by Jesus Christ is the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, the government that will finally establish peace upon the earth.
Consider the picture.
A ruler whose name means causing to forget is the son of one whose name declares that God strengthens.
His actions in Jerusalem become the reason given for the scattering.
Now consider Philadelphia.
Revelation 3:8:
“For thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.”
Philadelphia possesses little strength.
But its strength comes from God.
Zechariah 4:6 declares:
“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”
The work of God does not advance through human strength alone.
It advances through the Spirit of God.
The contrast in Jeremiah 15:4 is profound.
Hezekiah: God strengthens.
Manasseh: Causing to forget.
One name directs us toward the source of strength.
The other toward the loss of remembrance.
And the consequence is scattering.
What happened when the Church began to forget the truths restored through the Philadelphia era?
What happened when the government of God was replaced by competing administrations?
What happened when the foundation established through the work of Christ’s chosen apostle was treated as something that could be revised, replaced, or abandoned?
The people scattered.
The connection between forgetting and wandering becomes unmistakable.
When a people forget what God has given them, they begin to wander from where He placed them.
Philadelphia, however, is commanded to remember and hold fast.
The preservation of the truth is inseparable from remaining spiritually placed.
14. MANASSEH AND THE LUKEWARM CONDITION OF LAODICEA
Revelation 3:15–17
Now consider another connection.
Manasseh means causing to forget.
Hezekiah means the LORD strengthens.
The relationship between these names creates a spiritual picture of someone standing between two conditions.
One direction leads toward the strength God provides.
The other leads toward forgetting what God has given.
It is the picture of someone sitting on the fence.
Neither fully holding fast nor fully abandoning the outward identity of God’s people.
And this brings us to Laodicea.
Revelation 3:15–16 declares:
“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”
Laodicea is neither cold nor hot.
It occupies a condition between the two.
It has received knowledge.
It possesses an identity connected with God’s Church.
Yet it has become spiritually complacent.
It has forgotten its dependence upon God.
Consider the names again.
Hezekiah — God strengthens.
Manasseh — Causing to forget.
Now consider Philadelphia.
Philadelphia recognizes its little strength.
It depends upon God.
But Manasseh introduces the opposite condition.
Forgetting.
A people can receive strength from God and afterward forget the One who strengthened them.
They can inherit truth and cease exercising it.
They can possess the outward identity of God’s Church while neglecting the spiritual foundation upon which that identity rests.
This is the condition of lukewarmness.
The person has not entirely forgotten the language of the truth.
Yet the truth is no longer governing the person’s life as it once did.
The person remembers enough to identify with the Church but has forgotten enough to wander from its foundation.
Strengthened by God, yet forgetting what God gave.
This is the spiritual contrast illustrated through the names of Hezekiah and Manasseh.
And notice the consequence in Jeremiah 15:4.
The people are scattered because of what Manasseh did in Jerusalem.
The ruler’s actions affect the people.
The ministry’s spiritual condition affects the Church.
When those responsible for preserving the truth begin to forget it, the consequences extend beyond themselves.
The people become scattered.
The foundation becomes obscured.
And wandering begins.
Philadelphia has little strength but keeps Christ’s Word.
Laodicea considers itself rich but does not recognize its spiritual poverty.
One depends upon the strength of God.
The other must repent of forgetting that dependence.
One holds fast.
The other is lukewarm.
One is promised protection.
The other must undergo correction.
And the answer remains the same.
Remember what God has given. Return to the foundation. Hold fast to His Word.
15. WHO WILL STOP AND ASK HOW YOU ARE?
Jeremiah 15:5
“For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest?”
These words carry extraordinary weight.
God asks three questions.
Who will have pity?
Who will mourn?
Who will turn aside to ask how you are doing?
Think about the scattered brethren today.
Think about those who have moved from congregation to congregation.
Those who have become discouraged.
Those who have suffered financially, physically, and spiritually.
Those who have become isolated.
Those who sit alone at services.
Those whose families have been divided.
Those who once served enthusiastically but now struggle simply to endure.
Who turns aside to ask how they are doing?
The words of Jeremiah expose a terrible condition.
People can become so occupied with maintaining organizations, defending positions, and pursuing their own affairs that they cease to recognize the suffering of those around them.
The scattered sheep become accustomed to being overlooked.
Yet Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd.
John 10:11 declares:
“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”
In Matthew 18:12–14, Christ describes the shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to seek the one that has gone astray.
Ezekiel 34:16 declares:
“I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick.”
What a contrast!
Jeremiah asks who will turn aside to inquire after Jerusalem.
Ezekiel reveals God declaring that He Himself will seek the scattered.
The Good Shepherd has not forgotten His sheep.
Those who know their God know His character.
They know His promises.
They recognize His voice.
They understand that their hope is not ultimately in the attention of men but in the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.
Yet this also reveals the responsibility of brethren to care for one another.
A Church gathered around its Head should reflect the character of its Head.
If Christ seeks the lost, His people should not be indifferent to those who are missing.
If Christ binds up the broken, His people should not ignore those who are hurting.
If Christ strengthens the weak, His people should not despise those who have little strength.
Philadelphia is the Church of little strength, but it is also the Church before whom Christ has set an open door.
Its strength is not measured by the size of its congregations.
It is measured by its faithfulness to Him.
16. A PEOPLE DESTROYED THROUGH FORGETTING
Jeremiah 15:7
“And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from their ways.”
The reason is stated plainly.
“Since they return not from their ways.”
This connects directly with Hosea 4:6:
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”
Again, forgetting appears.
Knowledge had been given.
The people rejected it.
The law of God had been made known.
The people forgot it.
And the consequences extended to their children.
This is not merely a matter of possessing information.
It is a matter of preserving and practicing what God has revealed.
The Worldwide Church of God received a body of restored truth.
The Sabbath.
The Holy Days.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
The government of God.
The purpose of human life.
The identity of Israel.
The plan of salvation.
The coming Kingdom.
The calling and preparation of the firstfruits.
These truths were not given so that a later generation could forget them.
They were given to be preserved, practiced, and passed on.
Jeremiah 15:7 identifies the failure to return.
Hosea 4:6 identifies the rejection and forgetting of knowledge.
Revelation 3:11 gives Philadelphia the answer.
Hold fast.
17. THE SORROW OF THE MAN GOD HAS CHOSEN
Jeremiah 15:10
“Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.”
Jeremiah now cries out concerning his own position.
He has become a man of strife and contention.
Not because he has sought conflict for personal advantage.
Not because he has wronged others financially.
But because of the position in which God has placed him and the message he has been given to deliver.
The truth itself has become a point of contention.
The man speaking God’s words becomes the object of opposition.
This is a recurring experience among those whom God appoints to deliver His message.
The prophets were resisted.
Jesus Christ was opposed.
The apostles faced persecution.
And the Philadelphia work likewise encountered resistance as the truth was restored and proclaimed.
The calling of God does not guarantee acceptance by men.
Indeed, Jeremiah reveals the loneliness that can accompany standing faithfully in the position God has assigned.
Yet his sorrow is not the end of the account.
God answers him.
18. THE PROMISE OF PROTECTION
Jeremiah 15:11
“The LORD said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.”
God speaks of preservation during a time of evil and affliction.
This directs us toward the promises given to Philadelphia.
Revelation 3:10 declares:
“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”
Philadelphia is promised protection.
Not because it possesses great human strength.
Not because it controls powerful institutions.
But because it has kept Christ’s Word.
The promise of protection is connected with faithfulness.
Yet an important distinction must be made when considering the remnant.
The remnant of Revelation 12:17 is identified in Herbert W. Armstrong’s teaching as the Laodicean Church.
This is not the same group as the Philadelphia Church receiving protection.
Understanding that distinction is essential to the prophetic picture.
19. THE REMNANT: THE LAST PART OF THE GARMENT
Revelation 12:17
The word remnant refers to what remains.
It is the portion left over.
Consider a bolt of cloth.
As the cloth is used, a final portion remains.
That remaining portion is called the remnant.
Herbert W. Armstrong used this illustration when explaining Revelation 12.
He taught that the remnant represents the final era of God’s Church: Laodicea.
In his sermon Revelation 12, Armstrong identified the remnant of Revelation 12:17 as the Laodicean Church.
He explained that the Philadelphia Church would receive protection, while the Laodicean Church would come out of the Great Tribulation.
This establishes a vital distinction.
Philadelphia is the Church that holds fast and receives protection.
Laodicea is the remnant that must pass through the Tribulation.
Revelation 12:14 describes the woman being given two wings of a great eagle.
She is taken into the wilderness.
She is nourished for a time, times, and half a time.
She is protected from the face of the serpent.
But verse 17 reveals another group.
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
Notice the distinction.
The woman receives protection.
The remnant experiences the dragon’s warfare.
The remnant still keeps the commandments of God.
It still possesses the testimony of Jesus Christ.
But its spiritual condition differs from that of Philadelphia.
Laodicea is described in Revelation 3:17:
“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”
This is a Church that possesses a false estimation of its own condition.
It considers itself rich.
Yet Christ identifies its spiritual poverty.
It believes it has need of nothing.
Yet Christ reveals its need for repentance.
And in Revelation 3:18, Christ counsels Laodicea to obtain gold tried in the fire.
The imagery of gold refined through fire directs our attention toward correction through trial.
The remnant undergoes what Philadelphia is promised protection from.
20. THE WISE AND FOOLISH VIRGINS
Matthew 25
This distinction also connects with the parable of the ten virgins.
All ten are waiting for the Bridegroom.
All ten have lamps.
All ten go forth to meet Him.
But only five are wise.
The wise virgins have oil in their vessels.
The foolish virgins do not possess sufficient oil.
When the cry comes that the Bridegroom is approaching, the difference becomes evident.
The wise are prepared.
The foolish must seek what they lack.
Herbert W. Armstrong connected the Laodicean Church with the foolish virgins of Matthew 25.
The connection is significant.
The issue is not merely whether people possess knowledge of the Sabbath, Holy Days, or other doctrines.
The issue is whether the Spirit of God is being exercised and developed within them.
The wise virgins have oil.
The foolish virgins have neglected their preparation.
Philadelphia is described as having little strength.
Yet it keeps Christ’s Word.
Laodicea considers itself rich.
Yet Christ declares it spiritually poor.
The contrast reveals that spiritual wealth is not measured by outward appearance.
It is measured by the presence and exercise of God’s Spirit.
This also connects with Zechariah 4:6:
“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”
The Church cannot prepare itself through human strength alone.
The Bride is prepared through the Spirit of God.
The wise virgins demonstrate the necessity of having oil before the Bridegroom arrives.
Philadelphia demonstrates the necessity of holding fast before the hour of trial.
Laodicea demonstrates the consequences of failing to recognize one’s spiritual condition.
And the remnant reveals God’s continuing work of correction through the Tribulation.
21. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PHILADELPHIA AND LAODICEA
Revelation 3
The distinction between these two Church eras is essential.
Philadelphia has little strength.
Laodicea believes itself rich.
Philadelphia keeps Christ’s Word.
Laodicea must repent of its lukewarm condition.
Philadelphia receives an open door.
Laodicea hears Christ knocking at the door.
Philadelphia is commanded to hold fast.
Laodicea is commanded to become zealous and repent.
Philadelphia is promised protection from the hour of trial.
The Laodicean remnant experiences the dragon’s warfare.
Yet both are addressed by Jesus Christ.
Both are accountable to Him.
And both are connected with His purpose for the Church.
The difference is spiritual condition.
Philadelphia recognizes its dependence upon God.
Laodicea must come to recognize its need.
Philadelphia holds fast to what it has received.
Laodicea must obtain what it lacks.
This is why the instruction in Jeremiah 14:10 is so important.
The people loved to wander.
They did not restrain their feet.
But Philadelphia is instructed to remain.
The issue is not simply movement between physical congregations.
It is spiritual displacement from the foundation.
Philadelphia holds fast to the foundation.
Laodicea must be brought to repentance.
And the remnant that comes out of the Tribulation reveals the final work of correction before Christ’s return.
22. JEREMIAH DID NOT SIT WITH THE ASSEMBLY OF MOCKERS
Jeremiah 15:17
Jeremiah declares:
“I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation.”
Here Jeremiah describes separation.
He did not sit in the assembly of the mockers.
He did not participate in their rejoicing.
He sat alone because of the hand of God upon him.
This is a powerful picture of spiritual placement.
Jeremiah was not alone because he had forgotten God.
He was alone because he remained faithful to the position God had given him.
There is an enormous difference between being scattered away from God’s foundation and being separated from an assembly that has departed from it.
One is wandering.
The other is remaining.
Jeremiah’s physical isolation did not mean that he had spiritually wandered.
He remained before God.
He continued receiving God’s words.
He continued standing in the position assigned to him.
Consider Philadelphia.
Christ says in Revelation 3:8:
“Thou hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.”
Faithfulness is not measured by the number of people gathered around us.
A person may be surrounded by a large congregation and still be far from the foundation.
Another may sit alone while remaining firmly established upon the truth.
The decisive question is not how many people are present.
The decisive question is whether Jesus Christ is in their midst.
Jeremiah refused to join the assembly of mockers.
And the separation brought sorrow.
Yet he remained where God had placed him.
This brings us to Revelation 3:9.
23. THE ASSEMBLY OF MOCKERS AND THE SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN
Jeremiah 15:17 and Revelation 3:9
Jesus Christ declares to 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.”
Consider the connection.
Jeremiah refuses to sit in the assembly of mockers.
Philadelphia is confronted by those whom Christ identifies as the synagogue of Satan.
In both passages, the issue concerns the difference between outward religious identity and faithfulness to God.
Jeremiah remains separate from those whose conduct conflicts with his calling.
Philadelphia keeps Christ’s Word despite opposition.
And Christ promises that those opposing Philadelphia will ultimately recognize His love for it.
There is another important connection.
Jeremiah declares:
“I sat alone because of thy hand.”
Philadelphia hears Christ declare:
“I have loved thee.”
Jeremiah experiences separation because of his calling.
Philadelphia receives Christ’s assurance that its faithfulness is known to Him.
The one who remains faithful may appear isolated.
The one who refuses to join an unfaithful assembly may appear displaced.
But spiritual placement is not determined by outward numbers.
It is determined by remaining faithful to God.
This also connects with Jeremiah 15:19:
“Let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.”
Jeremiah is not instructed to abandon his position and join those who have departed from God’s words.
He is instructed to remain faithful.
And those who return must return to what God has established.
The same principle is reflected in Philadelphia.
Christ does not instruct Philadelphia to surrender what it has received.
He commands it to hold fast.
The expression synagogue of Satan in Revelation 3:9 describes the particular opposition addressed by Christ. Its application to any present-day assembly requires careful examination of conduct and teaching rather than an assumption based upon organizational identity or ancestry.
The spiritual principle remains clear.
An assembly is not made faithful merely by claiming God’s name. Faithfulness is demonstrated by keeping His Word.
24. RETURN, AND I WILL BRING THEE AGAIN
Jeremiah 15:19
God declares:
“Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.”
This verse brings the entire account into focus.
God declares:
“If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me.”
The promise is restoration to a position before God.
But notice what follows.
“Let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.”
There is an established direction of return.
The man whom God has chosen is not instructed to follow those who have wandered.
Those who have wandered are instructed to return.
This connects directly with Zechariah chapters 3 and 6.
But it also connects with Revelation 3:12.
Jeremiah is promised a position standing before God.
Joshua is promised a place among those who stand by.
Philadelphia is promised a permanent place in the Temple of God.
The progression is remarkable.
Jeremiah: Return, and stand before Me.
Joshua: Be cleansed, and receive a place among those who stand by.
Philadelphia: Overcome, and become a pillar that shall go no more out.
The final promise completes the pattern.
God does not merely bring His people back temporarily.
He intends to establish them permanently.
25. JOSHUA THE HIGH PRIEST: STANDING BEFORE THE ANGEL OF THE LORD
Zechariah 3
Zechariah 3:1 declares:
“And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.”
Joshua stands before the Angel of the LORD.
He is not presented as one of the men arriving from Babylon in Zechariah 6.
He is already standing in his priestly position.
The Angel of the LORD is present before him.
Satan stands at his right hand to resist him.
Joshua is clothed in filthy garments.
But God intervenes.
Zechariah 3:4 declares:
“Take away the filthy garments from him.”
Joshua is cleansed.
His position is restored.
And in verse 7, God declares:
“I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.”
Again, we encounter the language of standing before God and being given a place.
The cleansing is not accomplished through Joshua’s own power.
It comes through God’s command.
The placement is not self-appointed.
It is given by God.
Jeremiah 15:19 declares that the one who returns will stand before God.
Zechariah 3 reveals Joshua being cleansed and granted a place among those who stand by.
Both accounts reveal God’s authority to cleanse, restore, and establish those whom He has chosen.
But the connection becomes even more remarkable in Zechariah 6.
26. THE PEOPLE COME FROM BABYLON TO JOSHUA
Zechariah 6:10–15
Zechariah 6 identifies men who have come from Babylon.
Heldai.
Tobijah.
Jedaiah.
They arrive from the captivity.
The prophet is instructed to go to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah.
There, crowns are made from silver and gold.
And the crown is placed upon Joshua the high priest.
Notice the direction of movement.
The men come from Babylon.
Joshua is not described as coming from Babylon with them.
He is already present in the account as the high priest.
The people arrive at the appointed place.
And God’s purpose concerning Joshua is revealed.
This connects directly with Jeremiah 15:19:
“Let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.”
Joshua is not instructed to abandon his position and follow the captives back into Babylon.
The movement is in the opposite direction.
Those coming out of Babylon arrive at the appointed place.
The high priest receives God’s message.
And the building of the Temple is proclaimed.
Zechariah 6:15 declares:
“And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD.”
Those who are far off come.
They participate in the building.
They return to the House of God.
This is a powerful picture of spiritual placement.
God does not require His foundation to move into Babylon.
He calls the people out of Babylon.
They come to the appointed place.
And there they participate in the work of building His House.
This is the same principle reflected in the Philadelphia era.
The foundation was established through the work Christ directed.
The scattering of the people did not require that foundation to be relocated into the various organizations that arose afterward.
The call is to return.
Not merely to a physical organization, but to the spiritual foundation established by Jesus Christ.
The Chief Cornerstone remains in place.
The question is whether the people will return to Him.
27. THE PRECIOUS MUST BE SEPARATED FROM THE VILE
Jeremiah 15:19
There is another important instruction in Jeremiah 15:19.
“And if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth.”
The return requires discernment.
The precious must be distinguished from the vile.
The truth must be distinguished from error.
What God established must be distinguished from what men have added.
The original foundation must be distinguished from the structures built upon competing ideas.
This is not simply a call to gather people into another organization.
It is a call to recover what is precious.
To preserve the truth.
To recognize the government of God.
To return to the teachings delivered through the work Christ established.
And to reject the things that caused the wandering.
The Philadelphia era was given something precious.
Revelation 3:8 declares that it kept Christ’s Word.
Revelation 3:11 commands it to hold fast.
Jeremiah 15:19 commands the separation of the precious from the vile.
These instructions belong together.
Hold fast to what is precious, and do not return to what caused the scattering.
The restoration of the Church cannot be accomplished by preserving the very things that displaced the people.
The foundation must remain the foundation.
The Chief Cornerstone must remain Jesus Christ.
And the people must return to Him.
28. THEY SHALL FIGHT AGAINST THEE, BUT THEY SHALL NOT PREVAIL
Jeremiah 15:20–21
God concludes His words to Jeremiah with a promise:
“And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD.”
And verse 21:
“And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.”
Here is the promise of divine protection.
Jeremiah will encounter opposition.
The people will fight against him.
But they will not prevail.
Why?
“For I am with thee.”
The source of his protection is the presence of God.
This brings us back to the beginning.
Jeremiah 14:9:
“Thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us.”
And now Jeremiah 15:20:
“For I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee.”
The account begins with the declaration that God is in the midst of His people.
It concludes with God’s promise to remain with the one who stands faithfully before Him.
The people wandered.
The prophets spoke falsely.
The virgin daughter was broken.
The scattering came.
But God had not surrendered His government.
He had not forgotten His purpose.
He had not abandoned those who remained faithful.
And He had not lost the ability to gather His people again.
29. FROM WANDERING TO PERMANENT PLACEMENT
Jeremiah 14:10 and Revelation 3:12
Now we arrive at the remarkable conclusion connecting Jeremiah with Philadelphia.
Jeremiah 14:10 declares:
“Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet…”
Revelation 3:12 declares:
“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out…”
These two verses stand in direct contrast.
One describes the condition of a people who departed from God’s ways.
The other describes the eternal reward of those who remain faithful to Him.
The people of Jeremiah wandered because they did not restrain their feet.
Philadelphia is commanded to hold fast.
And those who overcome are promised permanent placement.
Consider the progression.
Jeremiah 14:9 — Christ Is in Their Midst
God stands among His people.
The foundation is established.
His presence is there.
Jeremiah 14:10 — The People Wander
They depart from where He stands.
They do not restrain their feet.
They become displaced.
Jeremiah 15:19 — God Commands a Return
“If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me.”
The wandering must end.
The people must return.
The precious must be separated from the vile.
Zechariah 3:7 — Joshua Is Given a Place
God promises Joshua a place among those who stand by.
His position is established by God.
Zechariah 6:15 — Those Far Off Come to the Temple
The people come from Babylon.
They return to the appointed place.
They participate in the building of the House of God.
Revelation 3:11 — Philadelphia Must Hold Fast
“Hold that fast which thou hast.”
The responsibility is to remain faithful to what Christ has given.
Revelation 3:12 — The Overcomer Shall Go No More Out
Christ promises to make the overcomer a pillar in the Temple of God.
A pillar is established.
It is placed.
It belongs to the structure.
It is not wandering.
It is not searching for another foundation.
It is not moving from one place to another.
It remains.
The very condition God condemns in Jeremiah 14:10 is the condition Christ promises to end permanently in Revelation 3:12.
The wandering ends.
The scattering ends.
The displacement ends.
The searching ends.
And the overcomer receives permanent placement in the House of God.
This is more than protection from the Great Tribulation.
It is the promise of eternal placement in God’s Family.
30. THE PHILADELPHIA PATTERN: PLACEMENT, DISPLACEMENT, AND RETURN
When Jeremiah 14 and 15 are read together with Zechariah 3 through 6, Matthew 13, and Revelation 2, 3, and 12, a remarkable sequence emerges.
First, God establishes His presence among His people.
Jeremiah 14:9 declares that the LORD is in their midst.
Revelation 1 reveals Jesus Christ standing among the seven golden candlesticks.
Second, the people wander from where He stands.
Jeremiah 14:10 reveals that the people loved to wander.
The scattering of the Church demonstrates the consequences of departing from the foundation.
Third, the ministry contributes to the spiritual condition of the people.
Jeremiah 14:13–14 reveals prophets declaring peace without having been sent by God.
Jeremiah 15:4 connects the scattering with the actions of Manasseh, whose name carries the meaning of causing to forget.
Fourth, the virgin daughter suffers a great breach.
Jeremiah 14:17 reveals the broken condition of God’s people.
The Church, preparing to become Christ’s Bride, experiences division and scattering.
Fifth, God identifies those who stand before Him.
Jeremiah 15:1 names Moses and Samuel.
Zechariah 4 reveals two anointed ones.
Revelation 11 reveals two witnesses.
The authority to stand before God is established by His appointment.
Sixth, the scattering reveals four ends.
Jeremiah 15:2 identifies death, sword, famine, and captivity.
Matthew 13 reveals three unfruitful grounds and one good ground.
Captivity corresponds with the wayside.
The sword corresponds with the stony ground.
Famine corresponds with the thorny ground.
Death directs our attention toward the ultimate judgment of the second death.
The good ground represents those who preserve the Word and produce fruit.
Seventh, God distinguishes the faithful from those requiring correction.
Philadelphia holds fast and receives the promise of protection.
Laodicea is called to repentance and is identified with the remnant that comes through the Tribulation.
Eighth, the faithful do not join those who mock or depart from God’s words.
Jeremiah 15:17 reveals separation from the assembly of mockers.
Revelation 3:9 reveals opposition to Philadelphia.
Yet Christ declares that He has loved Philadelphia.
Ninth, God commands a return.
Jeremiah 15:19 declares:
“Let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.”
Zechariah 6 reveals those coming from Babylon to the appointed house and participating in the work of God’s Temple.
Tenth, God cleanses and restores.
Zechariah 3 reveals Joshua’s filthy garments being removed.
He is given a place among those who stand before God.
Finally, God promises deliverance and permanent placement.
Jeremiah 15:20–21 reveals that opposition will not prevail against the one whom God protects.
Philadelphia is promised preservation and a permanent place in the Temple of God.
Revelation 3:12:
“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out.”
Notice those final words.
“He shall go no more out.”
The entire history of wandering, scattering, displacement, and return finds its answer in this promise.
No more wandering.
No more displacement.
No more being driven from the place God has appointed.
The overcomer becomes permanently established in the House of God.
31. THE RETURN TO PHILADELPHIA
The Philadelphia era of God’s Church was given a responsibility.
To hold fast.
To preserve the truth.
To remain faithful to the Word of Jesus Christ.
To recognize the government and foundation He established.
And to endure until His return.
The scattering did not erase that responsibility.
Neither did the multiplication of organizations establish new foundations.
The spiritual organism of God’s Church is not defined merely by incorporation papers, physical buildings, or the names men place upon their fellowships.
It is defined by Jesus Christ, its living Head, and by the truth and government He established.
The preserved teachings of the Worldwide Church of God remain a testimony to the work accomplished through Herbert W. Armstrong.
They provide a means by which those who have been scattered can examine the foundation, recover what was delivered, and hold fast to what Christ gave Philadelphia.
This is why the command in Jeremiah 15:19 is so important.
“Let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.”
The return is not accomplished by following every scattered group into its own understanding.
It is accomplished by returning to what God established.
The people coming out of Babylon in Zechariah 6 did not require Joshua to come to Babylon and adopt its ways.
They came to the appointed place.
There they participated in the work of the House of God.
Likewise, the scattered brethren must recognize the difference between seeking another fellowship and returning to the foundation.
One can continue wandering indefinitely.
But returning requires recognizing where one belongs.
And the promise to Philadelphia reveals the final purpose of that return.
Not merely to gather temporarily.
Not merely to find another congregation.
Not merely to establish another physical organization.
But to be permanently placed in the House of God.
To become a pillar in His Temple.
To go no more out.
CONCLUSION
THE WANDERING ENDS WHERE PERMANENT PLACEMENT BEGINS
Jeremiah 14 and 15 reveal more than the judgment of ancient Judah.
They reveal a spiritual pattern concerning the Church of God.
A people among whom God stood.
A people who loved to wander.
A ministry that spoke of peace while the people faced judgment.
A virgin daughter broken by a great breach.
A scattering into four ends.
Three unfruitful grounds.
A fourth end that directs our attention toward the second death.
A faithful people represented by good ground.
A ruler whose name speaks of forgetting, descended from one whose name speaks of God’s strength.
A lukewarm condition requiring repentance.
A prophet standing before God.
An assembly of mockers from which he remained separated.
A faithful Church confronted by opposition.
A remnant undergoing correction.
A high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD.
A people coming out of Babylon.
And finally, a command to return.
The most important question is not where the greatest number of people have gathered.
It is not which organization possesses the largest ministry.
It is not which fellowship offers the greatest appearance of peace.
The question is: Where does Jesus Christ stand?
Jeremiah declared:
“Thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us.”
Revelation reveals Christ standing in the midst of His Church.
Jeremiah records that the people wandered.
Revelation commands Philadelphia to hold fast.
Jeremiah reveals the broken virgin daughter.
Revelation reveals the Bride preparing herself.
Jeremiah reveals the man standing before God.
Zechariah reveals the anointed ones standing before the Lord of the whole earth.
Jeremiah commands the people to return.
Zechariah reveals those coming from Babylon to the House of God.
And Revelation promises the overcomer a permanent place.
“He shall go no more out.”
What a promise!
The end of wandering.
The end of scattering.
The end of displacement.
The end of searching from one place to another.
A permanent place in the Temple of God.
The Philadelphia Church has little strength, but Christ is its strength.
It does not prevail by might.
It does not prevail by human power.
It prevails through the Spirit of God.
The same God who strengthened Hezekiah, who appointed Jeremiah, who cleansed Joshua, and who established the work of Philadelphia is able to preserve His people today.
He knows those who have been scattered.
He sees those who sit alone.
He knows those who have been forgotten by men.
He hears those who cry out to Him.
And He knows how to bring His people back to the foundation.
The call is not to continue wandering.
The call is to remember.
To separate the precious from the vile.
To hold fast to what God has given.
To return to the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone.
And to remain where He stands.
For the promise to Philadelphia is not merely that Christ will preserve His people through the coming trouble.
It is that those who overcome will finally be established in a place from which they will never again be removed.
The people wandered from His presence.
The faithful held fast to His Word.
The scattered are called to return.
And those whom He establishes shall go no more out.
The wandering ends where permanent placement begins.
“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”
— Revelation 3:11
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