The letter to the church in Philadephia (3:7)
Key phrase: I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name Philadelphia (modern day Alaþehir). Its name is derived from Attalus II (159-138 BC), whose truth and loyalty to his brother Eumenes won him the epithet Philadelphus (brotherly love). Being on a major trade route it had an open door for evangelism. v7 - "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. - The martyrs in 6:10 also call the Lord by the title 'Sovereign Lord, holy and true'. Jesus holds the key of David, quoted from Isa 22:22, that is absolute power and authority over who enters his kingdom, see Rev 1:18. Eliakim the palace administrator, was to be robed with authority and given the key to the house of David (Isa 22:20-22, 36:3), he is the one who decides who will see the king. The strength of Christ contrasts with the little strength of the Philadelphians. The city's name means 'brotherly love'. v8 - I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. - Commendation, there is no rebuke. Jesus is the one who walks among the churches and sees. Philadelphia, meanwhile, was on the main trade route between East and West, a situation that presented the believers with an open door for the gospel into the region beyond. Although they were a tiny group with little strength, theirs was a door that God had provided and therefore no-one could shut (Hill). They had kept his word and not denied Jesus, therefore he will acknowledge them before their enemies. Ramsay points out that the "open door" is a Pauline metaphor meaning a good opportunity, i.e. an open door, for missionary work, see Act 14:27, 1 Cor 16:9, 2 Cor 2:12, Col 4:3. v9 - I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars--I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. - A synagogue of Satan is also referred to in the letter to Smyrna (2:9), the Jews follow Satan, whose name means slanderer, in slandering God's people, clearly the Jews in particular were troubling these early churches as Acts demonstrates, Acts 13:45, 14:2, 17:5, 18:6, 25:7. v9 - acknowledge that I have loved you - This wonderful fact of Christ's love for us is central to our faith, (Rev 1:5, 3:19, Eph 5:2). These Jews considered themselves and themselves only to be God's people and therefore loved by God, they despised the Philadelphians who they considered to be Gentiles and therefore out of Gods covenants. Jesus is saying that he will vindicate his elect and demonstrate to these slanderers who are really his beloved people. Note that Philadelphia in Greek means brotherly love, Jesus will demonstrate who are really his brothers. The word for Jesus' love here is agapao which refers to a self giving love Jesus has for his people which he demonstrated by dying for them. There are a number of OT references to God vindicating his people in front of their enemies (Isa 43:4, 45:14, 49:23, 60:14). v10 - Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. - The hour of trial is mentioned in Dan 12:1, Mark 13:19 and it is likely that it is depicted by the seven trumpets and Ch 7-19 later in Revelation. The hour of trial is for the world not for the church which will be spiritually but not physically protected from it. The spiritual protection of the church is indicated in the sealing of the 144,000 (7:3), see also God's care of the woman in the desert (12:6, 14). The best example of this is the fifth trumpet in which the locusts are specifically told only to harm those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads (9:4 cf. Isa 18:3). The term 'the inhabitants of the earth', which is similar to 'those who live on the earth' (see 11:10, 14:6) always refers to the world not to the church (Rev 6:10, 8:13, 11:10, 13:8, 13:14, 17:8). This promise is not just for the church at Philadelphia but for all who fulfil the requirement of the promise which is to endure patiently (see 1:9, 13:10, 14:12). Just as Satan tests the church in Smyrna through persecution (2:10), so God tests the world through trial or adversity. The meaning of the word 'keep' (Gk. tereo) is to guard, to watch over, so that the idea of this verse is preservation through the hour of trial. v11 - I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. - 'I am coming soon' is a reference to His second coming, cf. also Rev 2:5, 2:16 in which he comes in judgement and especially 3:3 in which he comes like a thief. As with Thyatira he imposes no further burden on them except to hold on to what they have, Rev 2:24-25 cf. 2 John 8. The word for crown used here is the victors crown (stephanos), rather than the royal crown (diadema), so they are to hold on to what they have so that no one will take their victory. v12 - Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. - Here we have an abundance of promises to those who overcome. Four times Jesus refers to something belonging to or coming from 'my God' a rare expression in the scriptures (cf. John 20:17, Rev 3:2). The church is the pillar of truth, the temple of my God is the church. The 144,000 in Rev 14:1 have the name of Christ and of God on their foreheads. The New Jerusalem, is the church, coming down from heaven, see Rev 21:2, in Ezekiel's vision the name of the city is 'THE LORD IS THERE' (Ezek 48:35) cf. Rev 21:3, 22:3. The temple of God will be the New Jerusalem because that is where God will dwell. What is being said here is that he who overcomes will be permanently part (i.e. a pillar) of the New Jerusalem, he will belong to God and to Christ, and he will be intimately known. Lang remarks that Philadelphia was opposed by a synagogue of Satan, but each who stood aloof should be given a permanent place in the temple of God. He who did not deny Christ's name on earth shall bear His new name for ever. v12 - and I will also write on him my new name. - New name, this is the same as the new name written on the white stone (Rev 2:17), it indicates a special intimacy (Rev 22:4). Just as there is a new Jerusalem, and a new heaven and new earth so they have a new name. After the destruction of the city Philadelphia by an earthquake in AD 17 it was given aid by the emperor Tiberias. In appreciation it changed its name to Neoceasarea (the new city of Caesar), thus the church knew what it was to be given a new name, only their new name will be named after their king not Caesar. v13 - He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. - Note the formula: 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches', we all need to heed what is being said here. |
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