“Revelation 3:7-13”

Sunday, December 03, 2017

“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 kept My word, and have not denied My name. Behold, I will cause 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 at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. He 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. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

Most Americans recognize Philadelphia to be “the city of brotherly love”. The Greek word literally means “brother loving,” and true to its name, an Ancient King of Pergamum named this Asian city in honor of his brother whom he greatly loved and admired. Ancient Philadelphia was considered to be a “missionary city,” in that it was founded primarily to advance the Greek language and culture eastward, being established on a major east-west trade route as it was. “The vicinity about the city was especially conducive to grape growing, which made it famous for its fine wines. This gave prominence to Dionysus, the Greek god of the vine and of wine, and made this the chief pagan cult of the city. Philadelphia had so many temples and festivals to the pagan deities that it was often called ‘Little Athens’ (Hastings). However, opposition to the church and Christians stemmed from wealthy Jews…” (Hailey).

The churches in Philadelphia and Smyrna were the only congregations of the seven mentioned in Revelation 2-3 that Jesus pronounced no complaint or condemnation against. It can be a sobering thought to know that the Lord says “I know your deeds” (verse 8). But it can also bring us great comfort to know that the Lord is aware of the good that we do, and is pleased with us when we do His good will, even if no one else in the whole world recognizes the value that we bring into it.

Jesus had placed an “open door” before the brethren in Philadelphia. As the city was placed in its prime location for spreading the Greek way of life, so the Lord had opened up an ideal opportunity for the church there to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As God gives us various opportunities to do His will by serving Him and others, we have the obligation to recognize and take advantage of them as best we can. When the Lord opens doors for us, we must not be like the “wicked and lazy servant” who buried his talent in the ground (Matthew 25:14-30). We must put the resources, gifts and abilities that the Lord has blessed us with to good use.

The Christians in Philadelphia only had “a little power,” but they chose to keep the Lord’s word and not deny His name. It doesn’t matter if we are not financially well-off, have little or no social or political clout, or even if our local church is small in number. If we decide to follow Jesus, and take a strong stand for His everlasting truth, “nothing will be impossible” for us, and He will empower us to “move mountains” for His desires and purposes (Matthew 17:20). If we “hold fast” to the treasure that has been entrusted to us, no one can take away our eternal crown of life (verse 11).

If we remain faithful and loyal to the end of life’s way, God will make us “a pillar in the temple of…God” (verse 12). God will make us a permanent fixture in His heavenly sanctuary, and we “will not go out from it anymore.” This is probably another reference to one of the problems that the people living in the particular area addressed experienced. Philadelphia and the surrounding locale was prone to frequent earthquakes, and “when tremors occurred, its citizens fled in fear into the open countryside. In God’s eternal temple, the fearful will not do this because then there will be safety and security (Rev. 7:15; 21:3-4).” (Harkrider)

“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.” “Each individual was to have inscribed upon him a threefold name which would denote possession and relation: (1) The name of God the Father, to whom the individual would now belong in a permanent and fixed way… (2) The name of the New Jerusalem identifies the victorious saint as a citizen of the heavenly city, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband (21:2)… (3) Christ’s own new name, likewise new in kind, ‘the name written which no one knoweth but he himself (19:21), identifies the victor as sharing the glory which is Christ’s.” (Hailey)

Please read Revelation 3:14-22 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day!

-Louie Taylor

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