Straitness At The Time Of The End

Rev 3:7  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;
 
Rev 3:8  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.
 
Rev 3:9  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.
 
Rev 3:10  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.
 
Rev 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

You will notice that the words of our title are linked with the Lord's coming - "I come quickly". 

And with His coming imminent He addresses these words to His children. 

The issue, after all, at the end, in the coming of the Lord, will be that there is that which draws out His own heart and makes it possible for Him to say this kind of thing-- "I have loved thee!" 

And this is a discriminating statement. 

We must place an emphasis upon the "thee" because that represents a certain condition that does answer to the heart of the Lord. 

The Lord loves ALL His children, but there seems to be something special here.

From this message to Philadelphia, which has the Lord's coming in view, we know how a faithful testimony may find itself at the time of the end. 

Undoubtedly the terms of this message indicate that the Lord's testimony will be in straitness, in limitation, hedged up, shut in. 

These words "key" and "door" surely indicate that there is something that is locked up, something that men would shut out, lock out, something men would hinder and frustrate and curtail and limit; doors that men would close and lock. 

Over against this, though it may be like that and it will be like that to the end for a faithful testimony...the Lord says: "I have the key."

And no matter what doors men may close, I can set before you a door which no one can close. 

Keys and doors ultimately are with Me, in the presence of the severest straitening, curtailment and difficulty'. 

~T. Austin Sparks