The Lord will send His messengers to the churches in order to gather more “laborers” for the great harvest.
Luke 10:1-3 KJV
(1) After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
(2) Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
(3) Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
His messengers shall appear to be “strangers” at first....but let brotherly love continue at all times...
Hebrews 13:1-2 KJV
(1) Let brotherly love continue.
(2) Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
…for it will be in the Lord’s name that they will come in. They will be coming in His authority…with His name written upon their foreheads.
Jesus will have sent that messenger to the churches. Let he that hears say “come”…that is, receive them with brotherly love.
Revelation 22:16-17 KJV
(16) I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
(17) And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
The church in Philadelphia (brotherly love) kept His Word and had not denied His authority (name). They kept the Word…the Saying: to have love for one another….even to the stranger that was sent to them to speak. Jesus set an “open door” before them….that is, an open mouth that spoke the Word of Truth. They did not berate what the messenger had to say….they had “little strength”. That is, they meekly listened and did not rise up in wrath and contention towards the knowledge of the Truth spoken by the open mouth. Blessed are th poor in "spirit"...that is, poor in "breath"....for they behaved meekly without harsh words.
Revelation 3:7-8 KJV
(7) And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
(8) I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
A door was opened before them….a door of utterance that spoke the mystery of Christ. They responded with brotherly love.
Colossians 4:2-8 KJV
(2) Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
(3) Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
(4) That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
(5) Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
The church in Philadelphia had “little strength”. They did not rise up and speak in the full force of wrath…for the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God. Their speech was always with grace….seasoned with salt…that is, they were peaceful.
(6) Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
They received the messenger of the Lord. Tychicus was a beloved brother and messenger….a fellowservant in the Lord.
(7) All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:
The messengers will come to know our estate. How will men receive what they have to say in the Lord’s name? in what condition will we show our hearts to be in?
(8) Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts;
He that receives them, receives Him and the One who sent Him.
Matthew 10:40-42 KJV
(40) He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
(41) He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
Will we recognize His coming? Will we give “meat” in due season to those who come in His name? Will we receive them in brotherly love that are sent by Him? Will we entertain the “strangers”?
Matthew 24:44-51 KJV
(44) Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
(45) Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
Blessed is that servant who will be giving meat in due season to the strangers. For they will not be forgetful to let brotherly love continue.
(46) Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
(47) Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
But others will be forgetful…thinking that the Lord delays His coming and shall begin to beat upon those fellowservants who are sent by Him to them. They will join together with others who will behave the in the same way.
(48) But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
(49) And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
(50) The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
(51) And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Abraham gave “meat” in due season when the 3 men… “messengers”….appeared. He entertained strangers. He let brotherly love continue.
Genesis 18:1-7 KJV
(1) And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
(2) And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
Abraham invited them to stay. Let him that hears say “come”.
(3) And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
(4) Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
(5) And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
(6) And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
Abraham was found giving meat in due season.
(7) And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
But the Pharisees did not do the works of Abraham…for they were not inviting unto Jesus. They did not entertain His words of life and spirit. Instead, they obeyed indignation and wrath….seeking to kill Him who had told them the Truth which He had heard of God. This will all be repeated again and those who will forget the past, will repeat the same mistakes of the examples that were written unto us for a warning.
John 8:38-41 KJV
(38) I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
(39) They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
(40) But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
(41) Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.