To the Church in Philadelphia
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. 8I 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. 9I 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. 10Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 11I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him 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 him my new name. 13He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Dig Deeper
In the closing months of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln and the Union began a policy wherein if a southern state in rebellion could come up with 10% of their population that declared loyalty to the Union, they could be reinstated into the Union and would be able to hold elections with those pledging loyalty and be recognized as a state again. Louisiana was the first state to do so, but it quickly faced a problem. The war wasn’t over yet and they still had a state government that was loyal to the Confederacy. So, for a time they had two governments both claiming legitimacy and both vying for recognition from the people as the real government.
In the years between the formation of the Church and the destruction of the Temple, there was a similar phenomenon going on in which both Jews and Christians claimed to be the true people of God. The early early Christians deeply desired for God to act in such a way as to justify them, to vindicate the Church as His true people, and to show them to be His children. There are several passages in the gospels in which Jesus promised His followers just that (Matt. 21:21; Luke 17:20-18:15). Here that theme is picked up for the faithful but beleaugered church in Philadelphia. Christ is coming in judgment soon and when He does, they will be shown to be part of the true Temple of God.
3:7 - The church in Philadelphia had much in common with the church in Smyrna, especially in that they had received much persecution from apostate Jews. In contrast to the leaders that were persecuting them, Christ is the one who is holy and true. Christ holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. This line is an allusion to Isaiah 22:15-25, in which God accuses a royal steward of lying and betraying his trust. God tells the unfaithful servant that, "I will depose you from your office, and you will be ousted from your position." God goes on to tell the unfaithful servant that he will be replaced with a faithful one (Isa. 22:21-22). Christ is announcing that Israel has been found an unfaithful servant, has been thrown out of office and replaced by the One who is holy and true. The Jews in the synagogue had declared the church to be apostate, but it is, in fact, says Christ, the synagogue that is apostate.
3:8-9 - The holy and true One knows the deeds of the church and has opened the door that no one can shut. They have kept His Word and so, have been admitted into the fellowship of His Covenant. Those who pretended to hold the keys have been cast out. In contrast to Sardis, the church in Philadelphia has little strength or anything that would seem impressive but they are commended because, says the Lord, they have not denied my name. The apostate Jews are spoken of in no uncertain terms. They are no longer the chosen people of God but have become the synagogue of Satan by rejecting Christ. One cannot have a genuine belief in the Old Testament and reject Christ. There can be no such thing as "orthodox" Judaism now that the Messiah has come. The god of Judaism is not the God of the Bible, it is Satan. Christ promises the Philadelphians that although the Jews have the power now, I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. This is an ironic turning of the tables from Isaiah 60:14, where God gives this promise to the covenant people.
3:10-11 - Christ is not promising to rapture the church out of the coming trouble, but to keep them from it. He will preserve them during the coming tribulation and will keep them from falling. Also, they will not suffer in the same tribulation that is about to come upon the synagogue of Satan. The phrase "those who live on the earth" ("land" is the proper word here and is what John meant) is used twelve times in the Revelation (one for each of the twelve tribes). It is a common prophetic expression for rebellious, idolatrous Israel that is about to be destroyed and driven from the land (Jer. 1:14; 10:18; Ezek. 7:7; 36:17; Hos. 4:1, 3; Joel 1:2, 14; 2:1; Zeph. 1:18). The time of this tribulation is near, as Christ tells them I am coming soon. Christ would not promise the church in Philadelphia that He will protect them from something that would happen thousands of years later. The context of the tribulation and their protection is contemporary to when this was written. This church has had the door of fellowship with Christ opened for them. If they hold on to what they have, their crown will not be taken away.
3:12-13 - The overcomer will be, symbolically, a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will the people of God leave from the fellowship of Christ. God’s people are characterized by stability and permanence. The imagery from the tabernacle and the temple are continued as Christ says, I will write on him 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 him my new name. The head piece of the priest was inscribed by the name of God. Thus, this speaks of the restoration of God’s people to the image of God. God writes His name on the things that He restores and redeems. The old Jerusalem had apostatized and is about to be destroyed. The Church of Christ is declared to be the city of God. Although the Church had been persecuted like Isaac had been by Ishamel (Gen. 21:8-14; Gal. 4:22-31), they would see the false sons cast out of God’s blessings; they would be the ones to inherit the world (Rom. 4:13; Gal. 3:29).
Devotional Thought
The church in Philadelphia was informed that the door of fellowship had been opened to them and would not be shut. Those who overcome have this same promise applied to them. What does it mean to you to realize that no one can keep you from joining in the fellowship of God through His church?
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