“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open: I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me. Look, I will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue—those liars who say they are Jews but are not—to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love. Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world.
I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.
Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”
Revelation 3:7-13
As I wrote in the last Gem I would work through the text of the introduction to the Letter to the Church of Philadelphia in order to interpret the elements in the context the church found itself. I gave you a synopsis of the background to the church in the previous Gem. Now it remains to draw out the connections which I feel I have laid before you already. Thus leaving you in a position to make the connections for yourself. I am becoming increasingly convinced of the match between the issues each church faced and what the Lord Jesus Christ said to them in the letter. When Jesus says “I know all the things you do, your deeds, your hard work, your endurance, the things you suffer, your poverty, the persecutions you face, your love, your faith, your service, that you have held on and not denied me and stayed true to My Word” . . . He really does! That is why in the introduction to this letter He described Himself as the One Who is holy and true, the wholly and true witness. All that Jesus has said to the Church or to you as an individual you can be assured will prove true when tested. He is indeed the faithful and true witness.
Furthermore He is the One who has the Keys of David. Now we have to ask what He is referring to when He talks of the keys of David. It is actually a quote from Isaiah 22:20-22.
And then I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah to replace you. I will dress him in your royal robes and will give him your title and your authority. And he will be a father to the people of Jerusalem and Judah. I will give him the key to the house of David—the highest position in the royal court. When he opens doors, no one will be able to close them; when he closes doors, no one will be able to open them.
Isaiah 22:20-22
Eliakim was given the full authority as the King’s representative. We already know via Hebrews and Revelation that Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth as God the Father’s representative. What do these keys of the House of David open? They open salvation to the people of God and / or they open the Kingdom of God to the people of God. That is exactly what these words written to the church in Philadelphia signify. This church that had proved their endurance were given an open door to share the Gospel that no man could shut. Notice the reading in Isaiah goes both ways – opening a door that no man can shut and shutting a door that no man can open. But in this instance Jesus only emphasised one side of the equation with the words “I have opened a door for you that no one can close.” Why?
It is clear from what I told you in the last Gem that the Church of Philadelphia was consistent and faithful in not denying the Lord’s name despite Roman opposition down through the centuries to the point where they clung to their faith in Him amidst the sea of Islam as it swept over them, much like they had done under the Romans. This true and faithful One was rewarding His followers who had done similarly. They had obeyed His Word and not denied His name despite the fact that they had little strength. Does that mean they were not strong spiritually? Quite the contrary! They had held fast to their Lord and Saviour in the face of all kinds of opposition, Roman, pagan and members of the Synagogue of Satan, whether that means pagans who pretended to be Jews or Jews who pretended to be Jews of the heart and not just of the flesh [cirumcised]. Whatever the circumstances, they did not deny His name, even in the midst of a sea of Islam. (see the previous Gem) It is more likely “they had little strength” meant that they were small in numbers. God loves to use small numbers, just ask Gideon.
Remember Philadelphia was established to be the proselytiser of all things Greek. Does it not stand to reason that Philadelphia as the prime representative of God’s love for all others would become His representative to carry to Gospel to the East and around and back to the West? After all they were the church who stood their ground and remained firm as a Christian church over the centuries until the present day. When all others failed to stand firm, including Ephesus, despite the names of those who led them, Philadelphia remained a prime example taking Christ’s love to the world. We all know that God and Christ are no respecter of a person’s physical or spiritual strength. Rather God in Christ delights to use the weak in order to confound the strong just as He did with the Church of Philadelphia to show His love to those in and around their city. I find the words recorded here in this portion of the introduction to the Church in Philadelphia interesting to say the least.
I will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue—those liars who say they are Jews but are not—to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love.
Revelation 3:9
Those words have huge significance. There are passages in the Old Testament which proclaim the nations will beg a Jew to show them the way of salvation.
People from nations and cities around the world will travel to Jerusalem. The people of one city will say to the people of another, ‘Come with us to Jerusalem to ask the LORD to bless us. Let’s worship the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. I’m determined to go.’ Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD of Heaven’s Armies and to ask for his blessing. “This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: In those days ten men from different nations and languages of the world will clutch at the sleeve of one Jew. And they will say, ‘Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”
Zechariah 8:20-23
Do you see how this verse in Revelation is a reversal of the verses in Zechariah 8? Here the ‘Jews’ of the Synagogue of Satan (whatever that might mean) are pleading [no, ‘grovelling’ according to the text of Word Bible Commentary] on their knees begging to know the Way because they see the love. Thus the Scripture records Jesus words in John.
Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.
John 13:35
How fitting that these words should be recorded in Revelation 3 and applied to the Church of Philadelphia – the Brotherly Love Church. I don’t believe this link is by chance. I think it was a deep and deliberate little link made by Christ as an encouragement to the believers in Philadelphia.
I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world.
We saw in the last Gem that Christ protected the Church of Philadelphia from Roman persecution when they would not bow in reverence to the emperors of Rome. Neither would they deny the name of Christ in the midst of the guilds or the evils of the pagan world. Nor were they to go through earthquakes unprotected as we have seen. They lived in a land of earthquakes allowed to shake that which could be shaken so that which could not be shaken would be made evident. Does that bring the verses in Hebrews to your mind?
We will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.
Hebrews 12:25-27
The great time of testing that is coming on the earth is mentioned multiple times throughout the Letter of Revelation. [3:10; 6:10; 8:13; 11:10 (2X); 13:8, 13:12; 13:14 (2X); 14:6; 17:2 and 17:8]. Each time the Greek phrase [ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς – on the earth] is used. Not [kosmos], the idea of the world system, i.e. it is not those who are worldly that is in Christ or John’s mind. Rather it is all those who are on the earth. Times will come that will shake earth’s inhabitants to test all those who belong to this earth; or all those who live on this earth. I suspect we are heading for one of those times now. Commentators have debated as to whether this great time of testing of all those on the earth is the Great Tribulation which will take place before Christ’s return. No I don’t think so. Simply because this was said to the Christians of Philadelphia in John’s time. Clearly the Great Tribulation at the Time of the End was not what Christ meant. Rather it was a time of great testing which occurred in the First Century AD which He was referring to. Take your pick of any of the tribulations or disasters they went through. Earthquakes, invasions, Roman rule, Islamic incursion, economic collapse, martyrdom and threats of death, the threats which eventuated or those which remained just threats. It seems that in each case these Christians of Philadelphia remained steadfastly true to Christ’s name and His Word.
We however live in a time when it could well herald the Second Coming of Christ. How much more should we hold fast to obeying His Word and not denying His name?
All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, I will write on them the name of my God, and I will also write on them my new name.
How fitting that Christ should speak this way to the believers who lived in the city lined with pillars set to honour those upon whom honour was given by an emperor. I believe these words of Jesus would have meant so much more to the saints of Philadelphia than any honour bestowed by an emperor of Rome. Just compare for a moment the level of honour bestowed by an emperor of Rome and the honour meant by these words of Christ, the King of kings and the LORD of Lords. To have a pillar in Philadelphia on earth with your name on it as a result of coming to the attention of Domitian, the emperor, is one level of honour. But consider the honour given by Christ Himself, the Creator of Universe who has made you, yourself, to be a pillar of society in the heavenly city of God, the new Jerusalem, where you have the name of God and a new name given you by Christ with an indication of how He sees you by virtue of your new name. Which would you choose?
- To be honoured by a Roman emperor with your name on a pillar in Philadelphia, recorded in history having died the second death?
- To be honoured by Christ with God’s name on you along with your new name to live in the heavenly city of God for evermore?
Commentators are divided as to what the names mean for believers. Some feel it’s “Christian” i.e. belonging to Christ. Or perhaps it’s “God’s” meaning belonging to God. However the name I really look forward to knowing is that name that Christ Himself will call me. “Rock?”, no Peter has that one. “Mighty Warrior?”, no Gideon has that one. What will be the name Christ will give to me? Will it be a name that I will be known as by everyone else in the new Jerusalem? No! Jesus already told those in Pergamum it will be a name that only you and He will know.
To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.
Revelation 2:17
So what’s your choice: your name on a broken and decaying pillar in Philadelphia because a Roman emperor noticed you?
Ian
Or would you rather have Christ’s name written on you and live in the new Jerusalem forever and ever?
Ian
It’s a no brainer, isn’t it? So now you know what to do in order to experience the above latter.
Ian
Do you think everyone else in heaven will know what your new name is? Will the citizens of heaven call you by your new name or not? Do you want that?
Ian
Dear Pastor Ian,
I imagine if the seven prophecies applied to this time, today. Would the prophecies purposed to big churches at London, Paris, Rome, Zurich, Berlin, Istanbul and St Petersburg?
Thank you.
Dear Pak Suryadi,
That is an interesting question Bapak. I think the seven churches listed in the Bible: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea already apply in our time frame which i will demonstrate when we have covered all seven of the Churches in the Letter to the Seven from the book of Revelation. But I suspect if we were to choose modern day churches to substitute in our current time period there would be a similar variety of churches, big and small, those which imagined they were doing well only to find they were not in their accompanying present day situational context. That is what amazes me the most: how appropriately Christ’s comments match what was happening at the time and yet was so aptly relevant to churches across the continuum in the first century and in our modern day situation, both at the same time.
Ian