An Open Door of Service

The Template of the Letter to the Church at Philadelphia

Description of Jesus (Rev. 3:7)

The Risen Christ is described as the Holy One who has Ultimate Authority

Commendation (Rev 3:8-10)

The Risen Christ offers the Church the Promise of His presence and continued avenues for service

Rebuke

NONE: In addition to Smyrna, Philadelphia is the second of the 7 Churches with no rebuke from Jesus

Action Steps (Rev 3:11)

The Church members are to hold fast and to stay faithful

Reward (Rev 3:10b, 12-13)

They will be kept from tribulation and they will be given places of honor in the Heavenly Temple

Jesus is the One True God and He has Sovereign Control (Rev. 3:7-8a)

Explanation: The description of Christ is not taken from John’s vision (Rev 1:13-18). As many commentators rightly notice, this description is rooted in the OT. The phrasing is identical to language which refers to God as the Holy One and the True One as opposed to the false idols of the pagans. The implication is that Jesus IS God. As Dr. MacArthur points out, “this is a claim of Deity from Jesus.”

This indication of Sovereign control supports the language of doors being open and shut in regards to this church. When God chooses to open a door, it will stay open - regardless of the pressure that opposes that season of opportunity. Likewise, when Jesus decides to shut a door, it stays shut no matter the pleadings of those outside.

Example: God is the One who shut the door of the Ark, not Noah. And when God shut that door in His Judgment against sin, it did NOT reopen for those who may have pounded on the outside! (Gen 7:16)

Material Possessions have no correlation to effectiveness for Kingdom Service (Rev. 3:8b)

Explanation: The Church at Philadelphia was small and lacking in power and influence. By worldly standards they would not amount to much. Their pastor would not get the invite to preach the sermon at the annual gathering of the 7 Churches. New comers in town would not be drawn to the Church because of its children’s ministry and the live Nativity at Christmas.

However, this group of believers is commended by Christ Himself for their service. The One who sees all and knows all gives words of praise in three areas.

Jesus knows that these believers have kept His Word in spite of opposition from the unbelieving Jews (v. 8b)

Jesus knows that they have not denied His Name (v. 8c)

Jesus knows that they have endured persecution with patience (v. 10a)

God can and will use our faithful witness for His glory (Rev. 3:9)

Explanation: The problems this group of believers faced was not from the Romans, but from the unbelieving Jews. These Jews had rejected the claims of Jesus as their Messiah. They considered that they were still the gatekeepers to favor with God, so they opposed the Christians who were proclaiming that all could enter into relationship with God without becoming Jewish and observing the Law.

Many of these Jews were very zealous for the Law. They did not take lightly the claims of the Christians and they attacked them. Remember to zeal of Paul as an unconverted Jew - he was tracking down Christians and having them put in prison or worse!

Jesus is giving encouragement to His followers as they underwent persecution from these Jews. He was promising them that some of the unbelieving Jews who were opposing the Church at Philadelphia would later come to faith in Christ. They would “come and bow down before your feet,” which is an indication of their confession of being wrong about Jesus.

Application: Serve God and love others, especially those who are opposed to Christianity. Try to remember that it is not a personal attack against you personally, but rather it is an attack against Jesus. [It IS personal in the sense that you are the one being hurt, betrayed, imprisoned, etc.]

God may use your witness for Christ as the means by which He brings them to faith.

Jesus will keep His followers in the persecutions and perils of life in a fallen world (Rev. 3:10)

Explanation: This promise from Jesus gives His followers hope in every age. There is also a promise to the generation alive during the end times. According to Ladd, “ John viewed the troubles which the church will suffer in the near future against the background of the consummation of evil and the time of terrible trouble at the end.” (A Commentary on the Revelation of John, by George Eldon Ladd, p. 62) Thus, the promise holds true for every generation of those who follow Christ in a world of persecution.

The “hour of trial that is coming on the whole world” is a reference to the Tribulation. The term “those who dwell on the earth” is a technical term used throughout the Revelation to identify those unbelievers who oppose the Lamb and His Kingdom.

This verse is one of the strongest supports of a Pre-Tribulation rapture found in the NT. This view sees the means by which Jesus keeps His followers from the trial as taking them out of the entire situation.

The Post-Tribulation view sees that Jesus will keep His followers through the Tribulation by His presence with them. Believers will still be present and they will suffer persecution and martyrdom from the forces of evil but they will not experience the wrath of God directly as will be the case with the unbelievers.