Letters From God: to the Church in Philadelphia

Philadelphia: Revelation 3:7-13
It has been a while since I have been in the pulpit here. But before Easter Revival, when I last preached here, we were looking at the seven letters to the seven churches in Asia, as recorded in the Book of Revelation.

Today we get the letter to the church in Philadelphia. Some of the churches were doing pretty well, but there were some problems. Mostly with churches trying to coexist with the culture by inviting un-Christian aspects of the culture to infiltrate the church. So many of the letters are punctuated by sharp warnings. But not the church in Philadelphia. If you want to think of it this way, think of going to charge conference and presenting your report, and instead of picking at the little details, the DS and those assembled have nothing negative to say.

The name “Philadelphia” means “city of brotherly love.” But the Christians here were receiving a less than loving response from the Jewish community. In fact, the church was being persecuted by them. A little side fact: at this time, Christianity was a part of Judaism. There was no clear split yet – this is why Paul was sent first to the Jews. The Messiah Himself was Jewish. But it seems that the synagogue in Philadelphia was in line with the hostile and unbelieving Jews who Jesus accused of belonging to their father, the devil in John 8:44. He even calls them the “synagogue of Satan.” They had evidently expelled the Christians from the fellowship. So into this context, they receive a letter from Jesus, the holy one, the true one. Jesus was set aside, which is the meaning of the word “holy,” set aside for the messianic task. But he wasn’t just set aside for the task – where the English reads “true” the Greek carries the connotation of “the faithful one.” So not only was Jesus set aside, but he is faithful and will be faithful to carry his task to completion.

Jesus is portrayed as holding the key of David – what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. Jewish readers would be familiar with this terminology, as it comes directly from Isaiah 22. This term is a “metaphorical expression indicating complete control over the royal household.” The language of Isaiah is used to present Christ as the Davidic Messiah with absolute power to control entrance to the heavenly kingdom. It may be an intentional contrast with the practice of the local synagogue in expelling Christian Jews; only Jesus has the authority to admit or exclude anyone from the New Jerusalem.[1] 

This stands as a reminder that it is Jesus himself who has the power over who is in his kingdom and who is not. And to those who keep his word, he has placed before them an open door. This open door has two meanings – we just talked about the open door that Jesus has opened with the Key of David, so it does not matter that the door to the synagogue has been closed, the door into the messianic kingdom remains open.[2]

The second insight we can gain from the open door is that this city remains a ripe field for missionary activity. It is like when Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, telling of his intention to stay in Ephesus, (1 Corinthians 16:8-9) because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.

These two often go hand-in-hand. A great open door often is accompanied by a great many who oppose. In Luke 10, Jesus was sending 72 of his followers out on a mission trip, and He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Luke 10:2). There is something interesting that happens when you honestly pray this prayer. When you pray for the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into the fields, the Lord of the harvest often answers by sending you. Not some missionary. Not a pastor. Not a bishop or district superintendent. But you.

Jesus makes a promise to those who keep his command and endure patiently. He will keep them during the hour of trial. He also promises that he will be glorified in our actions when he says the false Jews will come and worship. That is to be understood as acknowledging that the church is the object of Christ’s love and that with his return their faith in him will be vindicated.[3]

But Jesus offers a bigger reward. He will make the faithful into a pillar in the temple of God. In other words, he will install them permanently in his presence. He will claim them as his own and in three ways write his claim on them – God’s Name, the name of the city where they belong, and Jesus’ victorious name.

If you have ears, listen to what he has to say to the churches.



[1] Mounce, R. H. (1997). The Book of Revelation (p. 100). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
[2] Mounce, R. H. (1997). The Book of Revelation (p. 101). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
[3] Mounce, R. H. (1997). The Book of Revelation (p. 102). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

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