The Church in Philadelphia Revelation 3:7-13
7. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
8. I know thy works; behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
9. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
12. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
13. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Only the second of the messages to the churches of Asia in which no censure was included, the message to the church in Philadelphia is the sixth message to be considered in our study. Commended for keeping the Word of Christ and honoring His name, the Philadelphia saints conducted themselves laudably in the eyes of the Lord. Consequently they were assured of being appropriately rewarded by the One whom they served so faithfully.
A good date for the beginning of the Philadelphian church period is 1638, when the first Baptist church in this country was established at Newport, Rhode Island by Dr. John Clark, ushering in an era of remarkable growth throughout the world but especially on the North American continent and in what would later become the United States. Accompanying the proliferation of Baptist churches and undoubtedly a direct consequence of the same was a tremendous surge in missionary and evangelistic endeavors. Could that have been part of what Jesus meant by the promise of “the open door” of verse 8?
The significance of the name Philadelphia also had a bearing on both the congregation in that city and the church period which it represented. Philadelphia means brotherly love, and it is certainly worthy of note that William Penn, founder of the Pennsylvania colony in the United States, intended for the city bearing the name Philadelphia to be an island of religious freedom and toleration in an era when established churches such as the Puritans in Massachusetts and Episcopalians in Virginia were restricting – if not actually persecuting – Baptists and others as so-called ‘dissidents.’
The Key of David (Revelation 3:7)
7. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
In introducing Himself to the church at Philadelphia the Lord departed from the usual procedure, as His comments in verse 7 are unprecedented in chapter 1. To the saints in Philadelphia Jesus presented Himself as the One who is fully divine and fully sovereign. His three-fold reference to Himself also spoke of His divine offices. As the holy One, He is set apart to be our great High Priest; as the One who is true (genuine), He is the prophet whose word is always sure; as the One holding the key of David, it is He alone who is the all-sovereign King of kings and Lord of lords.
The Holy One
The significance of this self-ascribed designation is that the word holy, which literally means set apart, is at once a name, a title and a description of God. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts” was the song of the seraphim in Isaiah’s vision of God’s splendor as he recorded it in Isaiah 6:3. Throughout the Old Testament are references to God as “the Holy One,” such as in Psalm 89:18, Isaiah 41:14, or Ezekiel 39:7. In the New Testament that title is attributed to Jesus Christ the Son, as in Luke 1:35, Acts 2:27 or Acts 13:35. Since holy means different or separate from, God is differentiated from human beings. He has that quality of life and being which belongs to Him alone and which we can never have in or of ourselves. As the holy One, Christ is also set apart for a specific purpose. The claim of Jesus to be holy was an assertion that He shares nothing less than the life, nature and being of God Himself.
The True One
The Greek word for true in this instance was a word that meant real or genuine as opposed to that which is shadowy and a substitute or imitation of reality. Jesus Christ is reality. He is not a shadowy outline or image of the truth, but He is Truth itself, so the fact that Christ is “true” indicates that He is genuine (“…the Father that sent me beareth witness of me,” John 8:18), undeceiving (“…no lie is of the truth,” 1 John 2:21) and steadfast (“Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever,” Hebrews 13:8). The phrase “He that is true” then speaks of the integrity of Christ. One reason why the Lord reminded the church at Philadelphia that He is the true One was to assure those saint’s that all the wonderful promises they had received would definitely be fulfilled. He that is true cannot lie; He will surely fulfill His Word.
The Key of David
The expression “key of David” is a reference to an Old Testament incident recorded in Isaiah 22:22. In that instance the Lord declared that He would entrust the key of David to Eliakim, who was thus established as a type of Jesus Christ. Eliakim was a faithful steward to whom King Hezekiah had entrusted all the royal treasures. Consequently he wielded great authority in the affairs of the kingdom of Judah. Similarly the Lord Jesus, the anti-type of Eliakim, holds supreme authority in matters pertaining to the kingdom of God. Since Christ holds the key of David, He can open and shut doors without any human interference. While this fact is an indisputable manifestation of His sovereignty, it is also a reminder that opportunities are available for Christian service. A prime example of the manner in which the Lord providentially opens and closes doors for His followers is found in Acts 16:6-10. The apostle Paul and his companions encountered closed doors before they found the door God had opened for them.
An Open Door and a Little Strength (Revelation 3:8)
8. I know thy works; behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
The Lord assured the members of the church at Philadelphia that He knew their works. However, He made no immediate comments regarding any of their actions or activities, instead speaking of an “open door” which He had set before them, and of the “little strength” which they possessed.
An Open Door
An open door is symbolic of opportunity. In writing to the Corinthian saints of the work which lay ahead of him, Paul exclaimed in 1 Corinthians 16:9 that “A great door and effectual is opened unto me…” That apostle also recounted in 2 Corinthians 2:12 how the Lord had opened a door for him when he went into Troas. Moreover, Paul asked the Colossian church to pray that God would open for him “a door of utterance” so he could preach Christ despite the fact that he was in bonds (Colossians 4:3). These examples make it clear that “an open door” is indicative of privileges and opportunities of spiritual service that are made available to God’s people. It is certainly worthy of note that during the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the period represented by the church at Philadelphia, tremendous accomplishments were made in missionary and evangelistic endeavors throughout the world as churches took advantage of the “open door” God had set before them.
A Little Strength
After promising them an open door of service, the Lord further reminded the Philadelphian saints that “thou hast a little strength.” That the church at Philadelphia possessed “a little strength” was verification that the Lord had kept His promise of Luke 24:49, “…tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” Those words, spoken by Jesus shortly before He ascended to the Father, were fulfilled on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit baptized the church, thus empowering it for its worldwide commission. This can be seen in the fact that the words strength in Revelation 3:8 and power in Luke 24:49 both come from the same Greek word, dunamis, meaning ability, strength, or force. Our words dynamic and dynamite came from that Greek term. The churches of the Lord are able to take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to them. The church at Philadelphia was commended for keeping God’s Word and refusing to deny His name. Such activities will keep a congregation active in the cause of Christ and faithful and true to the One it serves.
Lying, Pseudo-Jews (Revelation 3:9)
9. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
The church at Philadelphia was the second of the seven churches of Asia troubled with false Jews. The church at Smyrna had to deal with the blasphemy of those pseudo-Jews, while the Philadelphia congregation was beset with their lies. In the message to both of those churches the Lord identified false Jews as being a “synagogue of Satan.” The comments on Revelation 2:4 should be reviewed as a reminder of the significance of the false Jews and the synagogue of Satan.
“…I will make them…”
The verb make appears twice in verse 9, and in both instances it is associated with the false Jews. However, in the Greek language two different words were used. The first one, didomi, was generally translated give while the second, poieso, primarily conveys the idea of a production or accomplishment. Thus, Jesus assured the Philadelphian saints that He would give the pseudo-Jews the desire or inclination to worship before their feet, and when those false Jews received that desire or inclination He would see that they followed through with it. The Lord would “make” the lying Jews fulfill His purposes by arranging matters so that it would occur. This is yet another example in the Bible of the compatibility of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. No one can truthfully say, “God forced me to do this; I had no choice in the matter.” However, our sovereign God does allow situations to develop and circumstances to occur so that human beings will make choices, and this also means that people have to accept the consequences of their decisions and actions.
“…I will make them…..worship before thy feet…”
The time will come when the tables will be completely turned and those who were persecuted while on earth will be greatly honored. The pseudo-Jews in Philadelphia opposed the faithful saints in that city in their efforts to take advantage of the “open door” opportunities to witness for the Savior. One day, however – perhaps in conjunction with the Great White Throne Judgment – those who were despised and opposed on earth will be honored and applauded by their former persecutors. The expression “worship before thy feet” does not mean the Philadelphian saints will be objects of worship or be worshiped in the sense that God is worshiped; rather, it means they will be accorded the respect, honor and esteem that was denied them on earth, and unbelievers will thereby realize how dearly Jesus loves true believers.
There are some interesting Old Testament parallels to the promise in Revelation 3:9, especially within the prophecies of Isaiah. Those are predictions of the recognition the Gentile nations will give to restored Israel, and as a side study you may wish to consider Isaiah 45:14; 49:26 and 60:14.
Kept From the Time of Testing (Revelation 3:10)
10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Jesus Christ was not unmindful of the fidelity of the saints in Philadelphia. As they had “kept” something for Him so would He “keep” them, and His keeping would surpass by far anything they had done.
The Word of Christ’s Patience
“The word of my patience” is a phrase referring to the present attitude of Christ. He sits at the Father’s right hand patiently waiting until the Father makes His enemies a “footstool” as described in Psalm 110:1 or Hebrews 10:12-13. In other words, the Son of God is waiting for the time when He will be authorized by God the Father to establish His millennial kingdom in power and glory, the kingdom for which Christ patiently waits in Heaven. The members of the church in Philadelphia “kept” – that is, they accepted and respected – the testimony, termed in Revelation 3:10 as “the word of my patience.” They kept that promise in spite of the contempt and scorn of those who rejected it and ridiculed them for it. Those faithful saints had endured as seeing Him who is invisible and waited in patience, as does the Son, for the direct intervention of God.
The Time of Testing
“Hour” as used in this instance refers to a period of time, either of definite or indefinite duration, rather than sixty minutes. The Greek word peirasmou as used in this context conveys the idea of a test or a trial rather than a solicitation to commit sin. In Luke 4:13 “temptation” does indeed indicate attempts by the devil to entice the Son of God into committing sin. However, the difference in the usage of temptation in Revelation 3:10 can be seen in the fact that the words try and trial were translated from the same Greek root. The “hour of temptation” of which Jesus spoke in the message to the Philadelphian congregation will be worldwide in its scope. Therefore, the Lord undoubtedly had in mind the Tribulation Period of the end time as we know it, an era of testing unlike any the world has ever known.
Kept From the Time of Testing
The key word in this phrase is the preposition “from.” It is translated from ek, which meant from in the sense of out of or away from. Thus, the divine promise to the church at Philadelphia was that Jesus Christ will deliver or remove His saints so they will not be subjected to the terrible ordeals of the Tribulation. In the next section we will draw a comparison with Christ’s promise in verse 11. By extension, that promise is then applicable to all of God’s people; otherwise it would have no validity in view of the fact that the church in Philadelphia has long since ceased to exist as a local congregation.
Hold on to Your Crown (Revelation 3:11)
11. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Associated with the coming of Christ for His saints is the matter of rewards. Crowns are not the only rewards God’s people can receive, as noted in Matthew 10:41 and 42, but it does seem as if crowns will constitute a major part of Christian rewards. Unlike salvation which is a free gift, rewards must be earned; consequently they can also be lost.
“…I come quickly…”
On three previous occasions Jesus had told a church that He would come to it. To the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2:5, to Pergamos in Revelation 2:16, and to Sardis in Revelation 3:3 He declared His intention to visit them in judgment if they did not repent. However, His announcement to Philadelphia’s congregation was a promise of His second coming, which also happens to be the overall theme of the book of Revelation. What Jesus said in Revelation 3:11 is again declared three times in chapter 22, verses 7, 12, and 20.
The Lord’s promise to come “quickly” underscores the imminence of His return. In other words, it can occur at any moment. There is no prophecy that needs to be fulfilled before Jesus can return for His saints; there are many things that must occur, however, before He will return in power and glory to establish His kingdom for the millennial reign. That is why there are two phases to the second coming – a return for His saints and a return to step upon the earth. The second advent of Christ, like His first advent, will be a process rather than a single, instantaneous event. That He comes “quickly” means that He could come at any moment for the first phase of the His Second Advent. This fact alone should lend urgency to our work for Him.
The fact that there are two phases in the second coming means that it has been possible for Jesus to return at any time since His ascension into Heaven. Thus, every generation has looked for Him to return, and rightfully so. The fact that the return of Christ has not occurred in over twenty centuries causes many believers to become complacent in attitude and negligent in their Christian duties, but what Jesus said to the church at Philadelphia is every bit as applicable to us as it was to them. He will come “quickly” – He could come even today!
“…hold that fast which thou hast…”
An almost identical admonition to “hold fast” was given to the members of the church at Thyatira in Revelation 2:25. The expression “hold that fast which thou hast” spoke of their responsibilities both as individual believers and as members of a local church. Look back to the comments on Revelation 2:25. To “hold fast” requires dedication and loyalty. The present-day term to emphasize this concept might be commitment. We should be committed to the will and purpose of God and the message of His Word. The fact that Jesus promised to come “quickly” should cause us to be even more faithful to Him and to His cause. If He expected that to be the case for the Philadelphian and Thyatiran saints, how much more so does it apply to us after two thousand years have elapsed? There is an urgency to our service and faithfulness!
“…that no man take thy crown.”
As indicated previously, Christians will be given rewards for their faithful service to the Lord following the time of their salvation, and a significant part of those rewards will be crowns. At least four different crowns are mentioned in the Bible. Those are the crown of rejoicing as mentioned in Philippians 4:1 and 1 Thessalonians 2:19, sometimes called the soul-winner’s crown; the crown of righteousness spoken of in 2 Timothy 4:8 which will be awarded for anticipation of the return of Christ; the crown of life as described in James 1:12 and Revelation 2:10, the reward promised to those who suffer for the cause of Christ; and the crown of glory Peter mentioned in 1 Peter 5:4 which will be given to faithful pastors and ministers. Some Bible scholars also include the incorruptible crown Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians 9:25 in this list; however, it seems that the designation incorruptible describes the condition or quality of all the crowns rather than a specific crown apart from the others.
Since like other rewards crowns have to be earned, it is possible for someone to fail to receive one because the service rendered does not measure up. That is what Jesus meant by the warning about making sure that no one takes your crown. A similar warning was sounded by the apostle John in 2 John 8 when he wrote “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.” Paul addressed this matter in his first letter to the church at Corinth, chapter 3, verses 11-15 when he wrote about building on the foundation of Jesus Christ (our salvation) with two kinds of materials, those that are valuable (“gold, silver, precious stones”) and those that are worthless (“wood, hay, stubble”). A life that cannot stand the scrutiny of the Judgment Seat of Christ (“every man’s work…..shall be revealed by fire”) will result in “loss,” that is, the loss of crowns or other rewards. However, the believer’s salvation will not be affected (“he himself shall be saved”). Since the omniscient Son of God will be the divine Judge in the matter of rewards we can be certain that a fair and equitable judgment will be rendered in each instance.
A Pillar in the Temple of God (Revelation 3:12, 13)
12. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
13. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Jesus’ divine promise to the overcomers in Philadelphia included an assurance of security and a three-fold identity with their God. Much is involved in that wonderful promise, as it speaks of stability, of fellowship, and of intimacy with the Lord Himself in addition to eternal security.
An Assurance of Security
The Temple built by Solomon, the son of David, was one of the most magnificent structures in the world. In addition to being essential to the worship life of the Israelites the Temple had a grandeur which made its worship aesthetically pleasing as well as spiritually fulfilling. The porch or entry area featured two massive yet elaborate pillars which were called Jachin, meaning established, and Boaz, meaning strength (1 Kings 7:15-22). The Temple to which Jesus referred in Revelation 3:12 is the heavenly Temple, which is not an actual edifice, as John was careful to point out in Revelation 21:22. The overcomers will be pillars in that Temple in the same sense as James, Peter and John were regarded as pillars in the church at Jerusalem in Galatians 2:9. The expression, “temple of my God” speaks of the dwelling place of God, and the fact that we are described as “a pillar” indicates that we have a permanent place with the Lord forever. What a glorious experience it will be to serve as a “pillar” in the heavenly Temple and in God’s very presence. After being established as a pillar we “shall go no more out.” On earth it is not uncommon to see ancient and once-mighty architectural structures reduced to ruin, with the pillars completely demolished, but such will never be the case in the eternal age, and the pillars in the Temple of the Lord shall abide forever. This is an assuring thought, as the fact of the eternal security and preservation of the believer is thus once again confirmed. Stability and permanence rather than uncertainty and transience – this is the future the saints of God can confidently anticipate. The pillars in the heavenly Temple will not provide support but will instead be monuments to God’s wonderful grace, monuments that will never be defaced, destroyed or removed.
A Three-fold Identity
In ancient times inscriptions were frequently included on the pillars of temples or other structures. Accordingly, on the monumental pillars of the heavenly Temple will be a three-fold inscription, thus assuring us of a special identity and relationship with the Lord forever.
“…the name of my God…”
The fact that the name of God shall be written upon those who overcome will be positive proof that they belong to the Lord forever. Such an inscription may be an allusion to the golden plate the Hebrew high priest wore on his mitre, and upon which was engraved the revered, unspoken name of Jehovah (see Exodus 28:36). As a people who will be marked by God for Himself, our earthly life should be such that it reflects who we are and to whom we belong. Like Israel of old we shall wear God’s name because we are His people. Consider Numbers 6:22-27 within this context.
“…the name of the city of my God…”
The city of God is that heavenly city the New Jerusalem, which will be intimately related with the Bride of Christ, as can be seen in Revelation 21:9-10 and about which we’ll study in a later article. There we’ll read that when the apostle John was told he would be shown the bride he was shown the New Jerusalem. From this it is clear that the Lord expects His children to identify themselves with one of His churches while on earth and thus be included in the bride. To be identified with the city of God is to be identified with God Himself.
“…my new name.”
Revelation 19:12 states that when Jesus returns to earth in power and glory He will have “a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.” The verse immediately following, verse 13, declares that His name is called “The Word of God.” Although others have referred to Christ as the Word of God, it could be that He Himself will not use that designation until His glorious return. The giving of the new name of Christ denotes the realization that a new, richer and fuller relationship – a relationship that is secure and eternal – shall exist between Him and the overcomer.
Summary (Revelation 3:7-13)
The Philadelphian Congregation
What a positive example the members of the church at Philadelphia set! No negative qualities regarding that congregation were mentioned by Christ. They were commended for having kept His Word and for not denying His name. Perhaps they were small in number, poor in material wealth and of minimal account in the eyes of the world, but they had “a little strength” and they evidently used such resources as the Lord had provided to take advantage of the “open door” the Lord had set before them. What made the church at Philadelphia such an exemplary congregation was the love those saints had for one another, as the name Philadelphia suggests.
The Philadelphian Church Period
The “open door” that was set before the church in Philadelphia is indicative of the great opportunities for evangelism and missionary work during the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Reformation had fostered a cold, lifeless formalism, and all too often professors of religion were content simply to confess a creed and be united to a church by baptism. However, in many places the Reformation era was followed by a gradual loosening of political and religious restrictions. That plus the immeasurable opportunities afforded by the New World discoveries provided the Lord’s churches with a wide-open door for vast missionary endeavors. By cooperating in brotherly love those saints realized many accomplishments for the Lord.
One letter remains to be examined before we move forward and delve into end-time events. In our next study we will consider the message to the Laodiceans and compare what was happening in that congregation and in that time to what is happening today. Until then may God’s Spirit guide you and His hand protect you.
Tom