As Jesus pointed out, many of the Israelites of His day were not "Jews." They were not truly children of Abraham. Their behavior revealed that Satan was their father. Christ was murdered by such "Jews." The Romans merely were the instrument of murder employed by Satan working through the envy of the leaders of Israel.

The same Satan, gaining entrance through the envy and lust for power of the leaders of the Christian organizations, has tortured and slain the true believers who were faithfully keeping the word of Christ's patience.

These torturers and murderers consistently have claimed they are "Jews," that is, the people of the Lord. But they are the synagogue of Satan, not members of Christ.

During the "age of Philadelphia" multitudes will be led away from the truth, for Philadelphia symbolizes the era of great deception. This is why Christ is coming to us as "he that is true." Uncounted thousands—perhaps hundreds of thousands—are persuaded they are the Lord's people. But they do not know the Lord.

The word Philadelphia means "brotherly love." The Philadelphian age is characterized by a continual emphasis on how much people should love one another. The stress on "love" is found both in the world and in the churches. It often is not true love but a love that proceeds from the adamic soul. Adamic love is self-centered and can turn in a moment from passionate "love" to murderous hatred. Today the most perverse, destructive acts of lust are termed "love."

We are heaping to ourselves teachers who are willing, for a price, to scratch our itching ears. If someone teaches us that Christian people should enjoy all of the material comforts of the world, we believe him. If someone teaches us being saved by grace means it is not crucially important how we behave ourselves, we believe him.

If someone teaches us that Jesus would never allow His own to suffer tribulation, we believe him even though such a doctrine is contrary to the Scriptures and to the experiences of God's people of all ages.

But if someone teaches us that in order to be a Christian, a disciple of Christ, we must forsake everything in this life, take up our cross, and follow Jesus as a dedicated soldier follows his commander in chief, then we will not heed that teacher. We prefer to be deluded. Christ understands we prefer to be deceived and therefore deceives us (II Thessalonians 2:11).

We shall not continue in our delusion for long. The hour is at hand when the Lord Jesus Christ will come and make us worship God at the feet of the believers who have patiently guarded the word of Christ's endurance. Then we shall understand that Jesus loves the despised few who have gone outside the camp of popularity in order to share His reproach.

To be continued.