And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:
“I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have followed My word, and have not denied My name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My word of perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of the testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who live on the earth. I am coming quickly; hold firmly to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. The one who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; 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 out of heaven from My God, and My new name. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Like the other churches, Philadelphia was in the middle of a region that worshiped false gods. At the same time, there were people all around claiming to be what they were not, those whom Christ referred to as the synagogue of Satan. In the middle of all this activity, Philadelphia remained faithful to the one true God. They were so faithful that Jesus offers no rebuke to them. This is in direct contrast to Sardis and Laodicea, who God had no commendation for. Following the format for these messages to the churches, the last 3 churches are all missing something. But it is the church in Philadelphia that is missing the words of rebuke.
Christ starts this message off identifying Himself as, “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”.
Jesus is the Holy One. As the only son of God, He is God. He is holy simply because God is holy. In addition, He is the True One. “True” meaning real, genuine, and authentic. He has the key of David. Scripture tells us that Christ was coming through the line of David. As the king, Jesus has the key to the kingdom. A key symbolizes power and authority. Who can open a locked door? The one who has the key! When I lock the door to my house, I am confident that no one is going to enter unless I open the door for them. Since Jesus holds the key, He has the authority to open and shut. In fact, when He opens a door, no one can shut it. If He shuts a door, no one can open it. His authority supersedes the authority that anyone else thinks they have.
Jesus declares that He knows the things they have been doing. That phrase can lead to joy or fear. It all depends on what you have been doing that Christ knows about. In the case of the Philadelphian church, this phrase commends them for keeping His word and not denying Him. This church had a little power. They were faithful, yet not powerful spiritually. This is not a rebuke. Even though they have only a small amount of power, they have remained faithful to Christ. As a result, He is opening a door for them. They just need to walk through it. What is this door? Opportunity, in the form of ministry, gifts, blessings, etc. This is a theme throughout scripture. God provides the way, but it is up to you to act on it.
Jesus tells this church that He is coming soon. This is not a warning, but a promise to the faithful. He says, “I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” (Rev. 3:11 ESV). For those who have been patiently enduring for Jesus, this is a welcome promise!
The promise Jesus makes to the overcomers has several points to it:
- “I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God.” The Greek word for pillar can signify the importance of a person, just as a pillar is used to hold up a building. In Gal. 2:9, Paul uses the word to signify leaders. The word “temple” is taken as the inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. In the old temple, the Most Holy Place was an area separated by a curtain. Only the priest could go in, and only once a year. This is where the presence of God dwelt. Now, Jesus is saying that the overcomer will be an important part of the structure where God dwells. Then He says, “Never shall he go out of it”. When Christ makes you a pillar in His sanctuary, it lasts forever!
- “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.” Sometimes a pillar will have a plaque on it, the inscription showing what is significant about that pillar. Jesus says he will inscribe on the overcomer:
- The name of God
- The name of the city of God (the New Jerusalem)
- Jesus’ Name
The reason for this inscription is to say who we belong to, and where we belong. The overcomer belongs to God and belongs in the New Jerusalem. Throughout the New Testament, the word adoption is used signifying our position as a child of God. When someone is adopted, they are given the name of their adoptive parent. They are no longer subject to the past, but now live in the promise of their new family. That is what is happening here. Jesus says that the overcomer will realize their adoption into the family of God and will now bear the name of God for all eternity.
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