Full disclosure: I'm not religious, so take this for what it's worth.
I'm reminded of Revelation 2:9:
I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
This chapter (kind of unfortunately?) goes on to say in verse 10:
Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
However, while looking this up, I was interested to see the same phrasing in the next chapter, with an interesting coincidence(?) in the name of the church being written to. From Chapter 3:
7 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
(All emphasis mine.)
It seems to me that many of the cabal fit the description of "those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan." They certainly don't care about following the laws of the Old Testament or being a good person, but simply gaining power by any sick means possible.
It is conceivable -- but this is just something that occurred to me, and by no means am I claiming this is definitely the case -- that the name Philadelphia is not just a coincidence. As we all know, it was where the first Congress met to draft the Constitution -- the metaphorical birthplace of America. I will say that this scenario seems to work out more happily than the last one. I will also add that we "Philadelphians" could certainly use such a resounding victory over the "Synagogue of Satan."
All that said, I want to reiterate that I'm not religious. Even if you are, nobody can be sure if my half baked theory is correct, or if Earth actually has another 5,000 years before the real Apocalypse. Either way, it would be unwise to just count on the cavalry to come save the day. There's a reason that "God helps those who helps themselves" became a saying. Thanks for coming to my talk.
Full disclosure: I'm not religious, so take this for what it's worth.
I'm reminded of Revelation 2:9:
This chapter (kind of unfortunately?) goes on to say in verse 10:
However, while looking this up, I was interested to see the same phrasing in the next chapter, with an interesting coincidence(?) in the name of the church being written to. From Chapter 3:
(All emphasis mine.)
It seems to me that many of the cabal fit the description of "those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan." They certainly don't care about following the laws of the Old Testament or being a good person, but simply gaining power by any sick means possible.
It is conceivable -- but this is just something that occurred to me, and by no means am I claiming this is definitely the case -- that the name Philadelphia is not just a coincidence. As we all know, it was where the first Congress met to draft the Constitution -- the metaphorical birthplace of America. I will say that this scenario seems to work out more happily than the last one. I will also add that we "Philadelphians" could certainly use such a resounding victory over the "Synagogue of Satan."
All that said, I want to reiterate that I'm not religious. Even if you are, nobody can be sure if my half baked theory is correct, or if Earth actually has another 5,000 years before the real Apocalypse. Either way, it would be unwise to just count on the cavalry to come save the day. There's a reason that "God helps those who helps themselves" became a saying. Thanks for coming to my talk.
Rev 3:9 says the same thing
The gates of hell won't stand before the Church of Christ - Jesus doesn't say there's a religion that will stand against the gates of hell.
Good for you not being religious, religion makes God look bad and divides his peoples.