Christ's Letter to Philadelphia

REVELATION 3:7-13: Letter to the Church in Philadelphia...

I. The PLACE of the Letter, v7

Revelation 3:7

7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write...: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

NIVZ: Philadelphia. An important commercial city (modern Alashehir, Turkey) 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Sardis (see map, p. 2581), strategically located along trade routes and home to temples to Zeus and the emperor. Following the devastating earthquake of AD 17, Philadelphia (meaning “BROTHERLY LOVE”) was temporarily renamed Neocaesarea (meaning “Caesar’s new city”) out of gratitude for the emperor’s aid.

AND THIS CHURCH IS GIVEN NO CONDEMNATION! (Like Smyrna)

II. CHRIST’S SELF-IDENTIFICATION, v7

Revelation 3:7

To the Church in Philadelphia

7 ...‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

The HOLY one; The TRUE one: these two suggest Jesus’ Deity, as in Revelation 6:10; plus He is the true Messiah, in contrast to what the false Jews say (v9: “they say they are Jews and are not, but LIE”, they are the Synagogue of Satan)...

Who has the KEY OF DAVID:

-Focus Commentary: Jesus holds the key of David because he is the promised Davidic king whose throne lasts forever. Isaiah 22:19-22 gives rise to the idea of the key. In that passage Eliakim replaced Shebna as steward of the palace and became the one who controlled entry to the king's household. This is who Jesus is. He alone can give access to God's kingdom (What he opens no one can shut) and to an inheritance of God's covenant promises. He can also shut people out: what he shuts no one can open. This self-description itself is full of encouragement to this suffering but faithful people. Jesus is the sovereign King and in control whatever may appear to be true at times on the ground in Philadelphia.

IE: Christ is the one who has authority re who will and will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven

WITH THIS AUTHORITY...He is the one:

Who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one will open: 

see Isaiah 22:22

Christ says in v8 that He has set before them an open door, which NO ONE is able to shut...this refers to the fact that though the church is weak (numbers? Worn down by the persecution and the steadfast stand for Christ in the face of it?)...Christ will provide an open door for them to keep them from being overcome...and even a door to keep serving His name...we’ll see more about that in a minute...

But it also reminds us of a GREAT promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that may apply to an individual believer or a church, to everyday temptations or to the greatest temptations that may come in times of great spritual warfare or even in the final, great tribulation...

1 Corinthians 10:13:

13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

This verse tells us, like what Christ says in vv9,10 that no matter what temptation or trial or suffering may come, whether we are in ourselves weak or strong, or during a time when we are just worn out...Christ provides open doors OUT of temptation and trial and INTO effective service for His name...this is HIS PROMISE...

III. WHAT CHRIST KNOWS, v8,10a

“I know your works...you have kept my word and have not denied my name” V8a

Ie Obedient and faithful witnesses for Christ...

“Because you have kept My word about patient endurance...” v10a

-ie. You have kept and obeyed my teaching and command that you must patiently endure suffering for my sake...

I know that you have but little power: again, small numbers or weak by being worn down by the persecution of their enemies...

You have kept my word and have not denied my name: they have held without compromise to their witness for Christ...that He IS the Holy One - God, and He is true: exactly who HE said and who His word says...

Christ is NEVER unaware of our love and faithfulness for His sake. He knows every time we share His name. He knows our strength and weakness. In other words, He is aware of us at all times, KNOWING what we are doing and WHY and the condition of our hearts...

AND HE ACTS ON THAT PERFECT KNOWLEDGE FOR OUR PERFECT GOOD...

IV. WHAT CHRIST WILL DO, vv8,9-10, 11a

8: Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut.”

WHAT IS this open door?

FIRST:

9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.

AS in Smyrna, the Jews of Philadelphia, and their synagogue, persecuted and probably slandered the believers of Philadelphia...as followers of a fake Messiah...

But they are NOT Jews...rather the TRUE Jews, followers of the TRUE Messiah, were those who believe in Jesus:

Romans 2:28-29

28 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

Philippians 3:3

3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—

Now listen to this promise from the OT about the pagan nations falling at the feet of God’s people:

Isaiah 60:14

14 The sons of those who afflicted you

shall come bending low to you,

and all who despised you

shall bow down at your feet;

they shall call you the City of the Lord,

the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

And this is what Christ says He will do here for the saints in Philadelphia...but instead of making the Gentiles come bow down to the Jews, it is these false Jews (outwardly but not inwardly) whom Christ will force to come bow down to these Gentiles who are true followers, the TRUE ISRAEL through the True Messiah Jesus.

Perhaps they will come and believe. Perhaps it is the faithful witness of these Philadelphian saints that will lead them to Jesus!

So...the church has little strength, and their persecutors have weakened them, but Christ will make an open door for these weak believers to stand and to WITNESS boldly to Christ and His gospel...and to ENDURE...

But SECOND, He will set an open door to endure patiently by:

Revelation 3:10

10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.

2 Peter 2:9

9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,

NOTE HERE: “the whole world” is used at times in the NT for an area less than the whole inhabited world, like the Roman Empire: 

Eg: Luke 2:1

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

-However, he does say here: “who dwell on the earth”

-But “dwell on the earth” or “earth dwellers” is also a phrase identifying unbelievers 

Revelation 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8, 14; 17:8

“The hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth...” is obviously a time of great tribulation, trial, and suffering. For the saints in Philadelphia, this will NOT be the FINAL great tribulation, just like those who fraternized with Jezebel in the church in Thyatira could be thrown into “great tribulation.” In Revelation, the entire last days will be characterized by tribulation, some times greater than others, but all these times of tribulation would be part of and leading up to the Final Great Tribulation.

If they were part of the final great tribulation, it would be past tense, for these saints have been gone from the earth for many centuries.

But the important thing here is, Christ promises in v10 that because these saints have kept his word and patiently endured, He will keep them from falling and completely losing their strength and denying Christ and His Word in the great tribulation that will come their way. He will provide an open door for them to continue enduring and being faithful for His name, perhaps giving them, even in their weakness and in the face of great tribulation, the greatest witness they have ever had. He may not keep them from PHYSICAL HARM...Revelation doesn’t promise that, but tells them and us to prepare for it...but rather from SPIRITUAL harm...where we are strengthened to STAND for our Lord.

But for unbelievers, this will be a testing time to reveal their true pagan hearts...and it will lead ultimately to judgment.

11. I am coming soon.  Revelation 22:7, 12, 20

-Is this in reference to His final coming? Well, it has been the better part of two millennia...and He has not returned bodily in power and glory. Or is this a “with the Lord a day is as a thousand years” kind of thing?

OR, might it be His coming to help and do what He has just promised them...to cause their persecutors the Jews to come and bow down before them and to help them through great tribulation? Ie, a coming in power and help so they, in their weakness can continue to be faithful to His name? Again, a coming of Christ that is one of many, many throughout the last days, characteristic and pointing to His final coming: visbly, bodily, in power and glory, to judge and save and bring all history to a close...

VI. WHAT CHRIST COMMANDS, v11,13

11: Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.

-HOLD FAST and don’t let go, even in your weakness, because I will give you strength, I will be strong on your behalf. NOW, when you are weak and suffering is bearing down is NOT the time to give up...for I will NEVER give up on you!

VII. WHAT CHRIST PROMISES, v12

12: The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, 

And my own new name.

Permanence...in God’s Place, in God’s Presence, as God’s People, under God’s Rule...forever. A return to Eden! Revelation 21-22.

FINALLY...

13: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

These 7 churches and the church of all ages...LISTEN, HEAR, take it to heart!