Text
: Revelation 3: 7-13
Title
: A Letter from Christ
to the Church in Philadelphia
Date: 06/10/2013
Philadelphia, less than 5o kilometres SE of Sardis
is now known
as Alaşehir in modern Turkey. She was established in 189 BC by King
Eumenes II of Pergamum (197-160 BC) who named the city for the love of his brother and
successor Attalus II (159-138 BC). ("Philadelphos",
literally means "one who loves his
brother). In terms of history this
city was the youngest of the
seven churches, and it was mainly founded to expand the Greek culture and language to the regions
of Lydia and Phrygia.
This church represents two of the seven churches (the other being Smyrna) that receive no rebuke, but only encouragement from the Lord. There appears to be a spiritual similarity between the two
congregations. Both are
very vulnerable and both are exposed
to the
synagogue of Satan – those who say
that they are Jews, but who are not.
The greatest difference between the two seems to be that the church of Smyrna spends
her spiritual energy in the bearing of the cross
for Christ's sake, while the church in Philadelphia in spite of little
power still has an open door for the gospel.
V.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. As is the case for all the other churches, the message is addressed to the ‘angel’ or the messenger of the church. These words are said to be of Him who is the
holy one and the true one. Holiness
(the idea of being set apart) is an
attribute of God. God is holy. In Him there is no sin and He can stand no sin. He
is different and separate from
all (German: “Der ganz Andere”) and
Jesus shares this attribute because He bears the essential nature of God. Truth is another of
God’s attributes. He is all
truth, and in the same way Jesus is the Way , the Truth and the
Life. (Jn. 14:6).
This church
was holding on to Jesus and on to His truth. This
church had remained faithful to the gospel in spite of strong pressure. She held on to Jesus – she confessed His name. The Lord says of her: "(you) have not denied my name." (v.8) Furthermore
in v. 10 she is commended by
the Lord, “you have kept my
word about patient endurance.” This indicates that
the church had patiently borne
her cross under very challenging circumstances in the
little physical strength that she had.
This word comes to her from “ 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 phrase , "the
key of David" is derived from Isaiah 22:22. Isaiah here pronounces judgment
upon Shebna, king Hezekiah’s treasurer. Isaiah
prophesies that this high office
shall be taken away from Shebna, and that it shall be given to Eliakim, the son of
Hilkiah, who was found to be more worthy than Shebna. It is
in this connection that Isaiah uses this expression "key of David." Holding a key means holding a place of great authority . A key means
power of access. The analogy is clear. Christ
holds the key to all God’s riches
and He holds the key of access into
God’s presence. He has the authority to
open and shut the door of the Father's kingdom. He alone determines who shall enter into that kingdom
and who shall remain outside. He adds
to the church, and this church with little strength must not be discouraged on account of the
little success that she currently has . There is a great promise given to her :
The Promise Of An Open Door
V.8 Jesus says to this congregation: “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set
before you an open door, which no one is able to shut.” The
promise of an open door reminds us
of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 14:27 , when they returned from their
missionary journey, reporting to the church “all
that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to
the Gentiles.” So too in 1 Corinthians 16:9 we find Paul reporting that “ a
wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many
adversaries.” So too Paul found that a
door had been opened for him to preach the gospel in Troas ( 2 Cor. 2:12). Paul also asks the Colossians to pray for him that a door might be opened for him to preach the gospel (Col 4:3).
The open door speaks in each case of gospel opportunities, and here the Lord Jesus
promises that He would create
such an open door, a gospel opportunity for the
church at Philadelphia. This is
so encouraging for it teaches us that
God is not hindered by our little
strength. God is not limited by little resources. The great issue is patient endurance – faithfulness –
believing in a great God who has all the
resources waiting for us! The
greatest issue is desire . Does
our church desire to glorify God in seeing
people converted in this city, country and continent? If so, the Lord
tells us: Trust in me! I will fulfill my purposes through your little strength and the
comparatively few resources that you have . Then put these requests before God and trust Him to supply your needs. He is
after all the missionary God who has given us a missionary mandate, and if this is His
will He will also provide the
funds, the organization and the people.
Remember, that at the beginning and the end of the missionary
calling there is the One who holds the
keys to heaven, and what He opens no man
can shut , and what He shuts no man can open.
The Lord promises the church
at Philadelphia, having faithfully struggled against the odds for a long time, that she shall see fruit upon her labours: “I have set
before you an open door …”. They would see that the attitude of the enemies of the
gospel would change. Now they would be listened to. The Lord is opening the hearts , minds ears
and eyes of the people
( just as He can also shut the
eyes , ears hearts – cf. Isaiah 6:9-10).
V.9 One more specific promise is given : "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 to come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you."
There
was in Philadelphia, like in Smyrna, a synagogue
of the Jews which was bitterly opposed
to the Christian church in their
midst , but the church had
patiently persevered against the
odds. But now the Lord would finally open the door
to their hearts and some of these Jews would be converted. On their knees they would
plead for forgiveness, and they would acknowledge that God has loved this
little church.
Now this is not uncommon in the history of the church. Our work may appear to be fruitless and without
results, and all of a sudden in response to patient endurance and faithful
prayer, the Lord opens the floodgates of
heaven for a season. Does this make you hopeful? Does this not encourage you to patiently
persevere in prayer and in
keeping on working
for the gospel?
The Promise Of Being Kept From The
Hour Of Temptation
V.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.
Here
is another promise. Difficult times were lying ahead for the church, but the Lord promises
them that on account of their faithful endurance they
would be kept in the hour of trial. The
hour of trial refers in the first place,
to a wave of persecution which swept over the church of Christ at that time. In
all likelihood it was the same persecution which Smyrna would have to
endure. This is of course true for the church in every age. How much the church has suffered in those
parts under so many invasions , as
new brooms swept clean! The last time
that happened in this region
was during the Greco- Turkish war
(1919-1922) when the Muslim Turks conducted ethnic cleansings of the very large Greek Christian population. Greeks have lived in Asia Minor since
antiquity and before the outbreak of the First World War, up to 2.5 million
Greeks lived in the Ottoman Empire.[1]
The church has endured so much, and yet
has survived against the odds , and it
will be so until the end in the
time of the Antichrist, when there
will be days so terrible for the
church that even the elect would not endure if they were not cut short. (Matt 24:22)
The promise to the faithful church
at Philadelphia and also to the faithful church of the present time is that she will be
kept from the hour of temptation that shall come upon the whole world. This
does not mean that the church will be raptured out of the world before
this happens (as some maintain) , but it means that the true church
will be kept by her Lord in such times.
His grace will be sufficient in
such times.
This interpretation is in harmony with the
admonition which immediately follows this announcement:
V.11 “I am
coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.
The church
is called to hold on in the midst
of tribulation. Again, this points to
the fact that the church of Philadelphia,
and the true church of all ages may
expect suffering and trial. To endure means that she must keep the Lord may always be before her, the faithful and true One, who holds the keys
of David, and who gives the church the assurance that she
need not be afraid, for His grace will be sufficient to keep His faithful ones in the hour of temptation, so that no one shall take
their crown.
The Promise Of Future Blessing
V.12 But the Lord has still more promises for this
church. He does not only come with
promises for the present time, but also with promises of glorious blessings for
the future. " 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.
This promise is given in general to those that overcome- it is for you who patiently
endure. The glory of the heaven is
preceded by the suffering of this present time. And the rule remains without
exception that we must suffer with Christ in order to be glorified together.
Christ and His people are inseparably
united. If they have hated Him, they
shall also hate us. And if they have persecuted Him, they shall also persecute
those that are His. Hence, only for those
that patiently endure this this a future promise.
It is necessary to mention in this connection that
this is no reference here to a literal
temple. If temple is taken literally,
pillars (you) must also be taken in the same sense. This is biblical symbolism. The temple of God is symbolic of the intimate dwelling of God with man. But
in the NT God’s temple
is His people (1 Peter 2) and He and
they shall live in intimate communion and union with Himself , and there they
are kept - “ never shall he go out of it..”
.
The Lord further makes mention of a
three-fold name which those who conquer
will bear : They shall bear the name of
God; they shall bear the name of the city of God; and they shall bear the new
name of Jesus.
They
shall bear the name of God ! No, we shall not be God; but the highest
possible relationship conceivable shall exist between God and His people. And
in that relation they shall see Him face to face, and He shall speak to them as
a friend with his friends.
They
shall bear the name of the city of God. This represents the society of the elect in glory,
the body of Christ, the complete assembly of all the saints.
They
shall bear His own new name. It is the name
which was given to Jesus at His exaltation at the right hand of God, a
name of glory and power and strength and majesty.
V.13 Hear what the Spirit says to the churches! “He
who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
1. The
church of little strength does not need
to fear. In Christ she has all the resources she needs to work and to witness even in difficult times .
2. Her
Lord is faithful and powerful. He has the key of David. He opens, and no one
shuts; He shuts, and no one opens. No one shall pluck us out of His hand or
displace us from His kingdom. And in all our work in the kingdom of
God, our reliance should be on Him
alone.
3. Trials will
come, but in the midst of
suffering for Christ's sake, the vision of the mighty King of kings must always be before us! With our eyes on Him we may be sure of the
victory!
4. That victory provides us with rich hope . It shall be the
victory of eternal glory in the new Jerusalem, in the temple of God and His
tabernacle with men, where we shall see Him face to face and love Him forever,
as He has loved us! Amen
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