Sermon Tone Analysis

Attributes of Jesus

Holy One- Set apart, distinct, unique, truly God

True One- Genuinely Messiah, Words are true, you can trust them

Key of David- Jesus controls the entrance to David’s house, which ultimately refers to the Messianic kingdom.

Opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens-

Opens and shuts what?

Door of David- Jesus alone has the power to admit into or exclude from His kingdom.

Knowledge of Jesus

What does Jesus know about the church in Philadelphia?

Your works

Brief interlude- A word of encouragement to the church.

How does Jesus seek to encourage the church?

I have set before you an open door?

What does this refer to?

Option 1: Christ is the door of the sheep / door of salvation

Problems: Christ is both the one setting the door and the door itself, the context of Revelation 3:8 is far removed from the context of John 10.

Option 2: Expanded Missionary Opportunities

Problems: Doesn’t fit the context of a suffering church

Option 3: a sure entrance into the messianic kingdom, promised to the church as a reward for their faithfulness

No one, not even those of “the synagogue of Satan,” can shut them out.

Jewish opponents would seek to deny Gentiles, such as Christians in this city, entrance into the messianic kingdom (Beckwith).

This meaning is clear from the immediate context of the message.

Then Jesus resumes his knowledge about the churches works.

I know that you have but little power?

“Little power” must refer to the church’s limited influence because of its numerical smallness.

Yet you have KEPT my Word!

You have not DENIED my Name!

Promises of Jesus

Synagogue of Satan?

“The synagogue of Satan” was apparently composed of professing Jews, worshiping in the synagogue and claiming to be the true Israel

Come and bow down before your feet?

Option 1: The false Jews will come and bow down before the churches feet- without implying salvation of those who are forced to come and worship.

This is the language of eschatological judgment rather than an anticipation of blessing.

It simply says that the Jews will acknowledge their mistake in denying Christians a place in the kingdom.

Option 2: a reference to an eschatological salvation of the Jews

Thomas Quote

“In light of the general nature of the application of all seven of these messages, the prophecy must look forward to the time when the whole church enters the messianic kingdom (Beckwith).

The people of Israel will have an entirely different attitude toward the church as Christ’s bride because they will by then have turned to Christ themselves.”

I will make them (believing Jews in the messianic kingdom as opposed to the attitude of most Jews in that day) to have an entirely different attitude toward Gentile Christians and the church.

Promise of future blessing.

Word about patient endurance- probably best understood as the endurance that Christ Himself displayed and must be emulated.

I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world

What is the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world?

The future period of trouble just before Christ’s personal return to earth.

How will Jesus “KEEP” the church from the hour of trial?

Will he preserve the church through the hour of trial, or will he remove the church from the hour of trial?

Those that argue for the idea that the church will be preserved, but not removed from the hour of trial cite John 17:15.

Notice the wording of John 17:15- how is it similar to Revelation 3:10?

“That you keep them from the evil one.”

/ “I will keep you from the hour of trial coming on the whole world.”

“That you keep them from the evil one.”

/ “I will keep you from the hour of trial coming on the whole world.”

ARGUMENT 1

What are the differences between John 17 and Revelation 3?

1).

John 17:15 keep the from what? Evil One / Revelation 3:10 keep them from what? Hour of Trial- a period of time during which judgement will fall on the world.

2).

How is the timing of the verses different?

John 17:15- was the Evil One already present?

Were the disciples already in the midst of evil?

/ Revelation 3:10- what is the timing of the plagues of the Tribulation period?

They are still future.

3).

John 17:15- the spiritual realm of the evil one is in view (i.e.

spiritual death), not the moral sphere of the evil one (i.e., the world system) while Rev 3:10 does refer to a position outside of the realm of the world’s system, i.e. “hour of trial.”

ARGUMENT 2

The conclusion that the meaning is deliverance for members of the Philadelphian church while they remain present during “the hour of trial” is beset by serious weaknesses.

One of them is the obvious fact that saints present during the Tribulation period will not be exempt from harm.

Many of them will suffer martyrdom (e.g., 6:9–11; 7:9–14) and will not be preserved (Smith; Johnson).

ARGUMENT 3

Perhaps the most convincing of all is how well it fits the immediate context of the message to Philadelphia.

It assures the faithful in Philadelphia who had already undergone their fiery test that they would be spared the stress and storm that were to come on others after the arrival of “the hour of trial” (Beckwith).

In other words, v. 10 is a promise ment to encourage the suffering church of Philadelphia to keep on patiently enduring hardship.

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.

I will remove you before that hour of trial.

What you are suffering now at the hands of the Jews is bad, but keep persevering a little longer- I promise to spare you from a trial that is much much worse than the one you are going through right now.

How much worse?

Not just the wrath of the lamb, but intense persecution of believers at the hands of Satan and his minions is prophesied during the tribulation period.

It is an encouragement to keep on keeping on, knowing the promise of Jesus that His church will be spared from the coming hour of trial.

What about the interpretation that Jesus would not remove the church from the hour of trial, but preserve them through the hour of trial?

Is that really an encouragement?

The latter would be tantamount to a threat rather than a promise, a threat that for remaining faithful, they would experience worse persecution than they had already.

Such is completely inappropriate at this point in the message where a promise to motivate the recipients is required.

Rather, they were encouraged to bear their present suffering and continue their faithfulness and endurance, because of the promised deliverance from the time of trouble that would overtake the world, but would not overtake them (Walvoord).

ARGUMENT 4

What does Jesus clearly mean by “save me from this hour?”

Does he mean preserve me from this hour, our remove me from this hour?

Command of Jesus

I am coming soon?- immanence

Hold fast what you have- command; what are we to hold fast to?

The degree of growth and progress already achieved by the church- the promise of deliverance from the hour of trial and of the soon coming of Jesus carries with in the responsibility of continued effort.

No one may seize your crown?

Perhaps here the more general meaning of victory attached to stephanon should remain undefined.

Promise to the Overcomer

Pillar in the temple of my God

Meaning?

Never shall he go out of it-

Metaphorical- No temple in the New Jerusalem

The Jerusalem that comes down from heaven is all temple, and Christ’s victorious ones are its living stones and pillars.

The Philadelphian Christians will be permanent, like a pillar in the Temple, and will stand when all else has fallen.

They are assured of continuance in God’s presence throughout all eternity (Walvoord).

Name of my God- belonging to God

Name of the city of my God- right of citizenship in the New Jerusalem