Letter # 6 – Letter to the Church at Philadelphia
Revelation 3:7 – “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens’”
Jesus begins by introducing Himself to the Church at Philadelphia using five different words or phrases. Let’s look at them one at a time.
He who is Holy
One of the main attributes of God is the fact that He is holy, meaning that He is set apart. He is set apart from all other so-called gods and He is set apart from sin as well. There is no one like God. Since God is holy, He calls His people to live holy too. We read in 1 Pet.1:13-16 – “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’”
We live in a world that is getting increasingly unholy, but then again we cannot question their behaviour because they don’t know any better. The problem is that to a large extent the church is getting unholier by the day that there’s hardly a difference between the church and the world anymore. Little wonder the world is becoming repulsed by the church.
He who is true
The second thing the Lord says about Himself is that He is true. In fact this is one of the things the Lord said about Himself in Jn.14:6 - “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Every word of God is true – there’s nothing false about God.
In today’s world it’s getting increasingly difficult to know what is true or false anymore – the lines are so blurred. What with AI videos that deceive people into believing lies as truth?
He who has the key of David
The third thing Jesus says about Himself is that He has the key of David. King David was the greatest king of Israel, and it was foretold that Jesus would be born in the lineage of David, and He would not just be the King of the Jews, but the King of kings and the Lord of Lords.
Jesus talked a lot about the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of heaven and He told many parables concerning this. Every believer is in the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven. We gain access into this Kingdom through faith in Jesus.
The One who opens and closes the door
While we enter this Kingdom right here on earth, there’s another day coming when we will forever enter this Kingdom, where we will be with the King forever. The decision on who enters and does not enter lies with no one but King Jesus. If He opens that door no one can shut it, and if He shuts that door, then no one can open it.
So Jesus seems to be saying very clearly in this verse that it is He, and He alone who can decide who enters the Kingdom of Heaven.
Revelation 3:8 – “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
I know your works
Jesus begins by telling this church at Philadelphia what He told the other churches as well – that He knew their works. Just like He praised the first four churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos and Thyatira, Jesus speaks of their works in a positive way, unlike the way He spoke of the church at Sardis.
Open door
Jesus then makes reference to the door for which He holds the Key of David. He says that He has set an open door for them and added that no one could shut that door. It appears like the Lord is saying that no matter what persecution or tribulation they go through here on earth, there’s a door open awaiting them in heaven, and no one can prevent them from entering that door.
This church did not look for earthly open doors through which they could enter and better themselves financially and materially. They lived on earth with a heavenly perspective, knowing that their real treasures were only in heaven.
Little strength, but…
This city church at Philadelphia seemed to be undergoing so much persecution that they had become weak, with little strength. But they were not willing to give up on their faith. They remained faithful to God’s word and lived it our well. In the face of persecution they were unwilling to deny the name of Jesus, but held fast no matter what.
What about us?
• Can the Lord say of us in a positive way, “I know your works?”
• Do we look forward to walking through that open door into heaven or are we satisfied with all the open doors that this world has to offer, at the expense of this heavenly door?
• Has suffering left us with little strength or is it that we are not facing any suffering on account of our well concealed faith?
• Do we still keep or live by God’s word or have we long given up on our faith?
• Can we say that we have not denied the name of Jesus or have we done it so much that we don’t feel guilty about it anymore?
Revelation 3:9 – “Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.”
The reward for their integrity
Jesus goes on to tell the church at Philadelphia that He would make those people who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim they are Jews and are not, but lie, to come and worship before their feet.
We looked at the synagogue of Satan and realised that these were people who claimed to be believers in Jesus but were actually hypocrites, pretending to be someone they were not – thereby fitting the bill of deceivers and fake people, just like the devil – hence the name, Synagogue of Satan. In other words, these people pretended to be part of the church of Jesus, but were actually a part of the church of Satan.
Jesus says that these false, fake people would one day be so convicted of their sin that they would actually come and bow down to the true believers and worship them as if they were God. The Lord is not thereby promoting the worship of these true believers, but is saying that these fake people will be so guilt ridden that they would of their own accord want to worship these true believers.
These fake believers would then be convinced that the Lord loved the true believers all along, something they found hard to accept all along, because they were so busy deceiving others about how loved by God they were, but their lives displayed anything but the love of God.
Revelation 3:10 – “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
The reward for their Perseverance
Jesus had foretold His disciples that they would undergo persecution for their faith, and this church took these words seriously and lived by it. Jesus said in Mt.5:11-12 – “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
The Lord then tells them that since they were obedient to persevere through suffering, He would also save them from the hour of trial that would come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth. What a great reward – escaping further persecution because they were faithful during the initial persecution.
I will keep you from the hour of trial
This persecution Jesus says would come upon the whole world – not just the believers, but all people. The believers will be tested to hold fast to their faith, and the unbelievers will be tested to the point of responding to the invitation to accept Christ, and be saved.
Sadly, there’s a strong and popular, yet only a century old teaching that teaches that the church will be raptured before this tribulation takes place. This false teaching creates a sense of carelessness and comfort amongst believers who believe that they will not live to suffer for their faith, and will be taken by surprise when they do.
Revelation 3:11 – “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”
The Lord then informs them that He would be returning soon, thereby encouraging them to hold on to their faith in the midst of their suffering. One might ask how the Lord could say He was returning soon, when it’s already been two thousand years since this promise of His return and He hasn’t returned. Let’s remember that God’s timing and ours are not the same. Peter, while referring to people who questioned the timing of the return of the Lord, even questioning the reality of it, said in 2 Pet.3:8 – “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”
Jesus goes on to tell them to hold on tight to what they have, referring to their faith in Him, and cautions them against losing their crown, referring to eternal life. Once again the Lord seems to be saying that the crown of life is available only to those who overcome and are not overcome by the world, sin and suffering for the sake of Christ. If one chooses to quit on their faith, then they are choosing to quit on the crown of eternal life as well. No one can take it away from anyone, but one can choose to forfeit it for whatever reason.
Revelation 3:12 – “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. 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 out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.”
A Pillar
The Lord makes an amazing promise to those who overcome this world and all its luring away from the Lord. He says that He will make them a pillar in the temple of His God. When Jesus uses the words, ‘the temple of My God,’ He’s referring to heaven, where God dwells. So what the Lord seems to be saying is that those who overcome will have a permanent dwelling in heaven, much like a pillar has a permanent place in a physical temple on earth.
He shall go out no more
As long as we’re on the earth, we have the option to walk away from the Lord as and when we want, and we all do that so many times. But Jesus says that when we enter heaven there will be no more going out. This will be an eternal dwelling in the presence of God forever.
The Three names
The Lord goes on to promise more rewards to the overcomers. Firstly, He will write on them the name of His God. We don’t know what that name would be. Secondly, He would write on them the name of the city of His God, and the name is mentioned here – The New Jerusalem which would come down from heaven. About the New Jerusalem we read in Rev.21:1-4 – “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Thirdly, they will receive another name written on them, and that is Jesus’ new name. We don’t know what that name would be.
Rev.3:13 – “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
The Lord ends this letter the same way He ended the previous letters, encouraging the listeners to not take lightly, but to take seriously what the Spirit says to the churches.
What about us?
• Are we living as overcomers just like the church at Philadelphia was? If we are not living as overcomers right now, there’s little certainty we will be overcomers tomorrow.
• If we are being overcome instead of overcoming, it’s time to stop and repent and get back to God.
• Let’s live with that amazing expectation of living in the presence of God forever, and do all we can to live in close relationship today, because if we don’t want God today, we certainly won’t want to spend eternity with Him.
