AM Bible Study Group; February 3, 2016 from Revelation 3:7-13
Theme: The church that is faithful to Jesus—though rejected by men—is accepted by Him.
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
The church to whom Jesus dictated his sixth letter was facing a terrible trial. It’s a trial that many churches—and many individual Christians—face even today. It was the trial of being forcibly rejected by those who were falsely claiming to be the people of God. Our Lord dealt with that problem by giving to the ancient church of Philadelphia further insight into who He is and how sufficient He is for all the things they faced.
Even if those who claimed to be the special people of God rejected them, Jesus Himself accepted them, marked them as His own, and promised them ultimate victory.
I. BACKGROUND ON THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA.
A. This city was founded by either one of two rulers in the 2nd Century B.C.; Eumenes II, the king of Pergamus, or his younger brother Attalus II (nicknamed Philadelphus). The story between them was one of the greatest stories of brotherly love in ancient history. A false rumor of Eumenes’ assassination led Attalus to accept his crown; but when the rumor was proven false and Eumenes was discovered to be alive, Attalus willingly relinquished the crown back to his brother. On another occasion, Attalus resisted the pressure of the Roman Empire to overthrow his brother. The love between these two brothers is legendary; and hence the city became known as “Philadelphia”—the City of Brotherly Love. It was an important city because of its location as a “gateway to the orient”, and was founded with the intention of its being used as a base from which to spread Greek learning and culture throughout the world. Even today, it’s ruins suggest its former beauty as a cultural center—characterized as it was by several impressive columns and pillars. But something dreadful happened in the year 17 AD; a devastating earthquake severely leveled twelve cities of Asia Minor overnight—Philadelphia being one of them. Many of its strong pillars were shaken and its columns toppled. The city was rebuilt; but the aftershocks that rumbled through the city for years afterward caused many people to leave and live instead in the outskirts. The city was rebuilt by the Roman Empire after the earthquake; and the grateful city changed its name to Neocaesarea in response. Later, it changed its name to Flavia under the emperor Vespasian. It was nicknamed “Little Athens” because of its identification with Greek culture. It exists today as the city of Alaşehir, in the Manisa Province of Modern Turkey.
B. Based on what we read from this letter, we can speculate about the nature of the problem that the first century Christians in ancient Philadelphia faced. It appears that the main problem they dealt with was aggression from the Jewish community. The Jewish people had “closed the door” of the synagogues to these Christians; and they reviled them as worshiping a false Messiah—a criminal that hung on a cross. The Jewish people claimed that they alone were the rightful objects of God’s love, and that the followers of Jesus were not accepted by Him. The leaders of the Jewish community may have even instigated severe civil persecution against these Christians.
C. All of this appears to have had the effect of giving this community of Christians what we might call ‘an social inferiority complex’. But we note in this letter that Jesus had no words of rebuke for the Philadelphian church. He responded to their need by revealing truths about Himself, commending them for what they have, and encouraging them to remain true to Him until He returned. It’s hard for us to not to be stirred—even today—by His words to them in verse 11: “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown."
II. JESUS’ INTRODUCTION OF HIMSELF (v. 7).
A. The Lord Jesus begins His letter to them by calling Himself “He who is holy . . .” This speaks of His sinless character as the Son of God. It’s a strong affirmation of His own purity and worth—even though He and His followers are despised by those of this world who think themselves holy. He is “the Holy One of God” (Mark 1:24); “the Holy One and the Just” (Acts 3:14).
B. He also presents Himself as “He who is true . . .” And this speaks of His genuineness and authenticity in contrast to those who make false claims of themselves. He alone is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
C. He further presents Himself as the One “who has the key of David . . .” We see this spoken of in Isaiah 22:22 as a reference to the spiritual authority that God gives to someone who is to rule over the household of His covenant people. Whoever is ascribed as having this key has authority (see Matthew 16:19). Jesus is the One who is presented as having the key of David; and as One “who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.” As some interpret it, this “opening” and “closing” may have some implications with respect to the spread of the gospel (see Colossians 4:2-4). But the idea seems more likely to be that the Lord Jesus—and not “those who say they are Jews and are not” (v. 9)—possesses complete authority over the matter of who may or may not enter into the blessings of His covenant.
III. JESUS’ WELCOME TO HIS FAITHFUL PEOPLE (v. 8).
A. Jesus lets these suffering Christians—so despised and rejected by others—know that He Himself is aware of their works for Him. However the people of this world may exclude and slander our Lord’s followers, He knows the truth about them.
B. He calls these Christians to “see” that—in contrast to their persecutors—“I have set before you an open door”. He has welcomed them; which is nothing less than the welcome of full salvation and future glory! What’s more, it’s an open door that no one can shut—not even the Jewish people of their day. Others may have rejected them; but the Son of God has warmly accepted them and has thrown out the ‘welcome mat’ to them. As the apostle Paul has put it, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
C. This door is not opened to the Philadelphian believers because they had earned their salvation; but rather, it is declared to be open to them because—by their faithfulness to Him in the midst of fierce opposition—they had already proven their true nature as those who belong to Him. In Matthew 10:22, Jesus told His followers, “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake”; and in John 15:19, “Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” Their nature as truly belonging to Him is shown in that . . .
1. They “have a little strength”. Praise God—their faithfulness didn’t depend on their strength. But what strength they had was given to them by Jesus; and was used to faithfully cling to and obey the One through whom they were able to do "all things" (Philippians 4:13).
2. They “have kept” His “word”; that is, they clung to and obeyed the things He said. Their faithfulness to keep His word was a demonstration of their love for Him (see John 14:21, 23-24; see also 2 Timothy 1:13-14).
3. And they “have not denied” His “name”. Jesus’ "name" is a figure of speech for all that He is and does. In the face of fierce pressure, they didn’t deny Him. As Jesus Himself says in Matthew 10:32-33, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” These Christians are among those who confessed Him and didn’t deny Him. They are assured of this promise!
IV. JESUS’ AFFIRMATION OF HIS LOVE FOR THEM (v. 9).
A. Jesus calls those who are opposing them “the synagogue of Satan”. This should not be taken by us as presenting Christianity as somehow “anti-Semitic” (as some have wrongfully suggested). We always maintain that the gospel of Jesus Christ is, by its very nature, “for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (see Romans 1:16; also 9:1-5). Rather, these words are an affirmation of the biblical fact that not all who are born Jewish by nationality or circumcision are actually “Jews” in heart before God (see Rom. 2:28-29), and that not all biological sons of Abraham are truly spiritual “sons” of Abraham (John 8:39-44). These have said that they are Jews; but Jesus’ verdict is that they “are not, but lie”.
B. As an affirmation that the believers in Philadelphia were truly His, He promises to make those of Satan’s synagogue “come and worship before your feet”. The word that’s here translated “worship” (Proserpine) means ‘to do homage before’ someone by prostrating themselves before them. It’s not, of course, that they would worship Jesus’ followers; but rather that they would take the humble position at the feet of those who are accepted by Him as His followers; and as a recognition that those faithful Philadelphia Christians were, indeed, received and loved by Him. “Also the sons of those who afflicted you shall come bowing to you. And all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet . . .” (Isaiah 60:14-16). The most wonderful aspect of all this is that the covenant people of God will recognize and confess that their Messiah—the Jewish Messiah—has loved these Christians as well (see Ephesians 2:11-13).
V. JESUS’ PROMISE TO PRESERVE THEM (vv. 10-11).
A. Jesus begins His promise to preserve them by first affirming the reason for His promised protection. He says that it’s because they "have kept My command to persevere" (or "to endure" as it is in the NIV). Literally, He says that they kept "the word of My patience" (see Revelation 1:9). Jesus spoke about this to His disciples in the Oliver discourse just before He Himself suffered on the cross. We find this ‘word of patience’ in Luke 21:12-18; and He concluded it with the promise that even though some of them would be put to death, "not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls" (vv. 18-19).
B. Now that these faithful saints in Philadelphia had proven themselves by keeping that word, He now promised, "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" (see Romans 5:9; “we shall be saved from wrath through Him”). The "hour of trial" that He speaks of here refers to the "great tribulation" that is promised in Matthew 24:15-24 and that is described in much of the third division of the Book of Revelation. Note that this is a time of testing for the whole world (see Revelation 13:3, 8); and the Lord here promises that it will certainly come. But the Philadelphian believers would be spared with respect to that hour (see also 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10). Dr. Bruce Geometer writes, “It is not easy to determine whether the promise . . . means ‘keep you from undergoing the trial’ or ‘keep you throughout the trial.’ But the promise can scarcely mean entire escape from suffering, because the promise to the one who conquers (v. 12) shows that there will be martyrs. It appears, therefore, that the Philadelphia church will not be spared from testing. It will be kept in, not from, the time of trouble” (Breaking the Code: Understanding the Book of Revelation, p. 42).
C. Added to this promise is another assuring promise from the Lord—"Behold, I am coming quickly!" He has promised that His return to this earth would be swift and unexpected (Matthew 24:36-44); and this should be an encouragement to His faithfully suffering saints. But it also comes as a call to "Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown" (see also 2:25). They must not only be faithful then—during their time of trial, but faithful always; because there is a danger of losing what they had—not salvation, but rather their eternal rewards (see 2 John 8). They must be "faithful until death"; and He would give them "the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10; see also 2 Timothy 4:6-8).
VI. JESUS’ PROMISE TO REWARD THEM (v. 12).
A. He says that He will make the overcome a "pillar in the temple of my God". The temple He speaks of is not the general temple area, but the very Holy of Holies within the temple—the very dwelling place of God. The Philadelphian believers would have been very familiar with pillars! A pillar symbolizes permanence and stability. They may have been kicked out of the places of Jewish worship; but they’ll never be made to leave God’s house. Unlike the pillars of the city, they will never be shaken!
B. What’s more, they will be inscribed. He will write the name of His God on them, and the name of the city, the New Jerusalem, and His own new name. Three names! They are forever inscribed as His with the marks that symbolizes God’s ownership of them, their citizenship in heaven, and the mark of full union with Christ.
* * * * * * * * * *
We may not suffer rejection and opposition from the same sources as the believers at Philadelphia did; but we do suffer rejection in our day from a number of sources. The solution is the same for us as it was for them—to look to the Scriptures and to gain a fresh appreciation of who Jesus is in His glorious attributes and character. This will encourage us, like the believers in Philadelphia, to use the little strength we have, to keep His word, to stay faithful to His name, and to keep His command to persevere until He comes.
What a blessing to know that we—the rejected of this world—are accepted by Him!