Irish Scripture Scholar Frances Hogan continues to explain the message to the church in Philadelphia. Jesus said to them that they would become pillars in the sanctuary of God and acknowledge them in the presence of His Father. He says that they will have the name of God registered on their forehead; they will become citizens of the new Jerusalem. This is the mark of God.

We are given this invisible mark of God in Baptism and confirmed at the Sacrament of Confirmation but, if we sully our baptismal robes then we are in danger of the mark not being recognized at all. If we discard the baptismal robes, then we will be forced to take the mark of the beast.

Here we also see the worldly church of Laodicea - the exact opposite of Philadelphia. The city was wealthy, it had a large Jewish population and temples to pagan gods and emperor worship. Jesus comes to them as the “Amen”, the Fiat of God, the One who says yes to everything in God’s will; He comes to challenge the church of Laodicea where idolatry, emperor worship, and everybody else’s will takes precedence. The church was lukewarm like the tepid water that flowed into the city. The message to this church is that they must find the truth and Jesus is the truth!

Bible References:

• Rev. 3:12 - The pillars will stand
• Jer. 1:18 - He would be a pillar to stand up against those in authority
• Gal. 2:9 - St. Paul refers to other apostles as the pillars of the church
• 1 Tim. 3:15 - Church is the pillar of truth
• Rev. 3:6 - Message to Sardis
• Matt. 10:32 - Declare the name of the Lord and He will stand by you
• Is. 65:15 - “My servants will be given a new name…”
• Rev. 3:14-22 - Message to the church in Laodicea 
• Col. 4: 12-17 - St. Paul’s mention of Laodicea 
• 2 Cor. 1:20-21 - St. Paul’s mention of “The Amen”
• John 14:6 - “I am the way…”
• Rom. 12:11 - “Never be lacking in zeal…”

Scripture Scholar, Frances Hogan, takes you to the world of the Apocalypse of John shown to us in the Book of Revelation written from the Greek island of Patmos. Through this podcast, we will try to understand the Book of Revelation through St. John’s warnings, the punishment that awaits, and the consolation the Lord offers to the faithful.

Frances Hogan: https://www.franceshogan.com/

Shalom World: https://www.shalomworld.org

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