Will only the Church of Philadelphia be Raptured?
In reality, God did create the universe out of nothing, and He created us from dust—including the mind-boggling design of the human eye. He certainly can make His creation disappear. He knows every single atom in the entire universe and is currently sustaining all of life through these atoms. How could an infinitely powerful God who is beyond time itself, and has always existed, not be able to do such a thing?
The sudden vanishing of believers, known as the “Rapture of the Church,” is arguably the most controversial issue in eschatology. Most debates on this topic are about the timing of the Rapture, not who gets Raptured.
Though I won’t discuss all my reasons for believing in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture in this post, I will share who I believe (in general) will be raptured and how this supports a Pre-Tribulational position.
If you want to read about why I believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church:
Is the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church true?
Can an all-powerful God make people suddenly vanish? If He made everything around us—including us—out of nothing, then why does it seem impossible? He knows the exact number of hairs on the heads of over eight billion people. The fact is, it is absolutely nothing for God to Rapture people. It will happen according to the inerrant, God-breathed Bible—a text proven totally accurate by the prophecies already fulfilled, among many other reasons.
Do you believe every single person at the church you go to, if you go to church, will be Raptured? I sure don’t.
I will explain why I believe the Church of Philadelphia is the only church that will get Raptured―that is, the individuals who compose it:
The Seven Churches mentioned in the book of Revelation are seven literal churches described when John the apostle was writing Revelation. During this time period, they were seven actual churches, but they still have meaning today.
Some think the seven different churches represent seven different periods of time within the history of the church. However, this really does not make sense, considering that throughout church history there has always been a mixture of these types of churches (“What Do the Seven Churches in Revelation Stand For?”).
Therefore—though I could be entirely wrong on this—my current understanding is that the Seven Churches are a mixture of seven types of churches that have existed for thousands of years; they are not to be separated into distinct time periods. In other words, the period we are living in right now is not just one distinct church period—such as the Laodicean age.
As we know, a wide variety of churches exist today rather than just a single type. Perhaps the Seven Churches do not represent all of them, especially given the rise of “woke churches.” Then again, maybe those don’t even qualify as real churches and are simply masquerading as such.
It seems to me that the Seven Churches of antiquity represent the characteristics of individual believers in Revelation, and the delineation will become increasingly clear as everything is unveiled.
Notice how God, who is talking to the Seven Churches, seems to be speaking to us as individuals at times. For example, He says, “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” He also uses words like “you” and “one,” which make it sound as though He is addressing specific believers.
Now, does the entire church—a physical church location—represent, say, the Church of Philadelphia? For example, if you go to a church that speaks the truth, is that the Church of Philadelphia? Maybe or maybe not, because not every single individual who goes to that church aligns with what the Church of Philadelphia represents in Revelation.
Maybe the church as a whole aligns with the Church of Philadelphia, but not every single person does. The church is composed of individuals and they obviously aren’t all on the same page. And, as just stated, there were seven physical churches back in the day that no longer physically exist (other than the ruins).
Therefore, I believe the Church of Philadelphia is one of the Seven Churches that exist in our society today, and that it—along with the other six churches—represents individuals more than physical buildings.
If most individuals at a church belong in this camp, then perhaps that specific congregation could be considered more like the physical Church of Philadelphia back in the day. However, it still comes down to the individual level; since a church is composed of unique members, each of us will be accountable for our own actions.
Just because someone who goes to your church is lukewarm, it doesn’t mean you as an individual meet the description of the Laodicean church in Revelation. Is my redundancy helping you understand my viewpoint?
Here is what it says in the book of Revelation:
Revelation 3:7-13
New International Version
“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Notice verse 3:10. What does it say?:
This is the only one of the Seven Churches that says this, and this verse appears before the Seven Seals, Seven Trumpets, and Seven Bowls (the seven-year Tribulation). It sounds like this verse is implying that God will keep this type of church from experiencing the “hour of trial.” The “hour of trial” is a reference to the Tribulation.
It ultimately comes down to this:
Unbelievers will clearly not be Raptured, but within the church itself, only the Church of Philadelphia appears to be the one that is Raptured? Could this really be true or maybe it is that every single individual that is part of any of the Seven Churches (and possible others that don’t fit into one of the Seven Churches) will be Raptured?
If you look at some of the other Seven Churches, it doesn’t seem like they will get Raptured. For example, Revelation 2:10, which is talking about the Church of Smyrna, mentions the following:
Maybe this is just a reference to the “ten days” associated with the ten persecutions that began with Nero and ended with Diocletian at the end of the third century (“What does Revelation 2:10 mean?”). Maybe, however, Revelation 2:10 takes on greater significance when compared to the Church of Philadelphia—which points to a Rapture—and the other churches that point to death or possible death.
Most agree that the Church of Smyrna was the other of the seven churches that did not receive a rebuke. Perhaps members of this church are destined for martyrdom, have not waited as patiently as the Church of Philadelphia—whose patience will keep them from the “hour of trial”—or indeed require further refining. Some even suggest they will not overcome the Synagogue of Satan, as the Church of Philadelphia does, until death.
We could all speculate all day long, but whatever it may be, God is just, so it will all work out in the end. Look at how Noah—who was a righteous, obedient man—and his family were spared from the global flood. He wasn’t perfect, but he did closely follow God.
Why also are these Seven Churches mentioned right before the Tribulation in the book of Revelation (including Revelation 3:10)? Maybe they aren’t meant to be interpreted just symbolically but rather literally. It is said to always take the passage literally unless there is a reason not to.
I know the book of Revelation has plenty of symbolism. However, it may need to be interpreted literally as specific events happening to specific individuals at a specific time—based on the seven letters written to actual churches back in the day.
So, even if the Church of Philadelphia is not the only church to be raptured, we must all aspire to embody the characteristics of both Philadelphia and Smyrna. Given God’s expectations and how much He hates sin, it makes even more logical sense that only a small percentage of people who truly belong to the “church” will be Raptured.
At the same time, if the entire church is exempt from God’s wrath, it doesn’t make as much sense that those in the “Church of Philadelphia” category are the only ones to be raptured. Or perhaps the other churches don’t meet the rapture qualifications, so they get left behind?
Here are some questions to help try to find answers:
Why does it sound like only the Church of Philadelphia will be Raptured in the book of Revelation?
— Trenton Tracy (@Jesusisthe1king) August 16, 2024
And if we are just living in the Laodicean age, why doesn't that church sound like it will be Raptured, but the Church of Philadelphia does?
Why does Revelation mention Seven…
Of course, my current interpretation of what the Church of Philadelphia means in Revelation may be completely wrong. This part of Revelation seems to be heavily open to interpretation, leading people to all kinds of viewpoints. It may completely change with further insight, and as time progresses, we may all get an answer from God Himself.
For more information about the Seven Churches:
What are the Seven Churches in the book of Revelation?
What are the Seven Churches in the Book of Revelation? Here is a summary of the Seven Churches.
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Works Cited
“What Do the Seven Churches in Revelation Stand For?” GotQuestions.Org, 12 Apr. 2004, www.gotquestions.org/seven-churches-Revelation.html.
“What Does Revelation 2:10 Mean?” BibleRef.Com, www.bibleref.com/Revelation/2/Revelation-2-10.html.