We have now traced briefly and incompletely the long history of the Christian testimony from Pentecostal days down to our own time. As indicated previously, we have a prophetic review of this history in the Lord’s words to the seven churches in Revelation 23.
We see in Ephesus the Church of apostolic days, which left its first love, and we have noted how quickly decline and departure came in; in Smyrna, the martyr period of the second and third centuries; in Pergamos, the Church allied with the world and tainted with false doctrine; in Thyatira, the growth of the papal system and the bright recovery of the truth at the Reformation; in Sardis, the dead post-Reformation period; and in Philadelphia, the glorious revival, first of the gospel and then the wonderful recovery of the highest truths of Christianity connected with Christ as Head of the Church, His body. Then, after this wonderful revival, which culminated in the nineteenth century, we see foretold in Laodicea the last phase — lukewarmness and indifference to Christ — a solemn picture of present-day conditions. It must be obvious to any intelligent observer that Christ has a very small place in organized Christendom. His words to Laodicea are surely a word for us today:
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me” (Rev. 3:20).
We have reached the closing phase of the Church’s history, and what is the outlook for the believer? It is the coming of the Lord. The Christian hope does not lie in the evangelization of the world; the Christian hope is the coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Matthew 25:1-13 we read of ten virgins who went forth to meet the bridegroom but who, while the bridegroom tarried, fell asleep and were awakened at midnight by the cry, “Behold, the bridegroom; go forth to meet him” (Matt. 25:6 JND).
Five of them had torches and oil in their vessels, and the others had torches but no oil. Those with the oil were ready, with blazing torches, to welcome the bridegroom, and they went in with him to the wedding feast and the door was shut. The others had no oil. They were not ready. They were taken unawares and were shut out. These two classes exist in Christendom today. There are those who are ready, with their torches trimmed and with oil to supply the light; there are others with the dry torches of mere profession.
When the Bridegroom comes, the Christian testimony will close. The last chapter is now being written. The Lord is coming for His own.
“I will come again, and receive you unto Myself” (John 14:3).
“The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16-17).
“The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come” (Rev. 22:17).
“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly: Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).
The true Church, composed of all those who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and have received the Holy Spirit, will soon be translated to heaven; the day of reward will follow. Each one will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Everything done and suffered for Christ’s sake will receive its reward — even “a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple” (Matt. 10:42). The sufferings borne during the long years of the Christian testimony will find their answer in “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17). The Church, entirely and eternally one, will come forth with Christ at His public appearing to reign with Him throughout the day of glory. The period of testimony and suffering will be over. The time of glory and rejoicing will have come.