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―To the angel ofthe church inPhiladelphiawrite…‖The faithful church

The Letter to Philadelphia―And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, whois true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and whoshuts and no one opens, says this: ‗I know your deeds. Behold, I have putbefore you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a littlepower, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. ‗Behold, Iwill cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jewsand are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, andmake them know that I have loved you. ‗Because you have kept the wordof My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hourwhich is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell onthe earth. ‗I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one willtake your crown. ‗He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple ofMy God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him thename of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the newJerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My newname. ‗He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to thechurches.‘ " (Revelation 3:7–13)

General Background on Philadelphia• Named for a king of Pergamum, AttalusPhiladelphus, who built it• Means ―love of brother/sister‖• Leveled a number of times byearthquakes, so they had sufferedunder natural disasters• Emperor cult worship began there in the3 rd century A.D.• Called ―little Athens‖ by the 5 th centurybecause of all the pagan temples• Called ―Allah shehr‘ today – ―the city ofGod‖• Written to by the martyr Ignatius ofAntioch who spoke of his recent visitwith them and encouraged them inChristian unity

Ignatius‟ Letter to Philadelphia―Ignatius, who is also Theophorus, to thechurch of God the Father and of JesusChrist, which is in Philadelphia of Asia,which hath found mercy and isfirmly established in the concord of Godand rejoiceth in the passion of our Lordand in His resurrection without wavering,being fully assured in all mercy; whichchurch I salute in the blood of JesusChrist, that is eternal and abiding joy; moreespecially if they be at one with the bishopand the presbyters who are with him, andwith the deacons that have been appointedaccording to the mind of Jesus Christ,whom after His own will He confirmed andestablished by HisHoly Spirit…‖

The Description of Christ―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 oneopens, says this" (Revelation 3:7)1. Christ is holy2. Christ is true3. Christ has the keys of David4. Christ opens/shuts withauthorityAll of these have distinctive OldTestament features

The Description of Christ―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 oneopens, says this" (Revelation 3:7)Holy means to be set apart, to be pure. The Old Testament describes God as the―Holy One‖ and the same name is used for the Messiah in the New.Label used for God elsewhere in Revelation: ―and they cried out with a loud voice,saying, ―How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging andavenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?‖ " (Revelation 6:10)

―What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth?Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy Oneof God!‖ " (Mark 1:24)―The angel answered and said to her, ―The Holy Spirit will comeupon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; andfor that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. "(Luke 1:35)―We have believed and have come to know that You are the HolyOne of God.‖ (John 6:69)―But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for amurderer to be granted to you" (Acts 3:14)

The Description of Christ―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 oneopens, says this" (Revelation 3:7)• The Greek term is ―alethinos‖ which isderived from ―aletheia‖ (truth) andliterally means ‗trustworthy‘, ‗authentic‘.• We can trust Jesus, believe in what Hesays• In a world filled with deception, errors,lies, we can trust what Christ tells us• Jesus said to him, ―I am the way, and thetruth, and the life; no one comes to theFather but through Me. " (John 14:6)

The Description of Christ―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 oneopens, says this" (Revelation 3:7)• A key symbolizes the means to accessand gain entry to something• David symbolizes the messianic office• ―Then I will set the key of the house ofDavid on his shoulder, When he opensno one will shut, When he shuts no onewill open. " (Isaiah 22:22) Spoken ofthe faithful Eliakim, the prime ministerwho controlled access to the king• Jesus, the Messiah, has the keys to thekingdom and to death (cf. Rev 1:18) anddetermines who enters both.

The Description of Christ―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 oneopens, says this" (Revelation 3:7)• ―Then I will set the key of the houseof David on his shoulder, When heopens no one will shut, When heshuts no one will open. " (Isaiah22:22) Spoken of the faithfulEliakim, the prime minister whocontrolled access to the king• No one can overrule Jesus‘ decisionon matters of eternal life and death

Philadelphia‟s Destiny―I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you anopen door which no one can shut, because you have a littlepower, and have kept My word, and have not denied Myname. " (Revelation 3:8)• As with the other churches, Christtells them He knows their deeds,which are the evidence of what‘sinside (i.e. true saving faith)• Jesus just said that what He opensand closes no one can change, andHe has placed an open door in frontof them symbolizes access to theKingdom of Heaven – something noone can change

Philadelphia‟s Opportunity―I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you anopen door which no one can shut, because you have a littlepower, and have kept My word, and have not denied Myname. " (Revelation 3:8)• It‘s also possible that Jesus isopening a door of service to thechurch• "A wide door for effective service hasopened to me and there are manyadversaries‖ (1 Cor. 16:9)• "When I came to Troas for thegospel of Christ and when a doorwas opened to me‖ (2 Cor. 2:12)

The Description of the Church―I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you anopen door which no one can shut, because you have a littlepower, and have kept My word, and have not denied Myname. " (Revelation 3:8)1. A little power2. Kept My word3. Not denied My name

“A Little Power”―On the other hand I am filled with power-With the Spiritof the LORD‖ (Micah 3:8)―but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has comeupon you‖ (Acts 1:7)

“Not Denied My Name”―If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him,He also will deny us"(2 Timothy 2:12)―They profess to know God, but by their deeds they denyHim, being detestable and disobedient and worthless forany good deed. " (Titus 1:16)―Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; theone who confesses the Son has the Father also. "(1 John 2:23)

The Fake and the True―Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan,who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie-I will makethem come and bow down at your feet, and make themknow that I have loved you.‖ (Revelation 3:9)• When the Jews rejected Jesus as theirMessiah, Judaism literally became asbad as Satanic worship• ―For he is not a Jew who is oneoutwardly, nor is circumcision that whichis outward in the flesh. But he is a Jewwho is one inwardly; and circumcision isthat which is of the heart, by the Spirit,not by the letter; and his praise is notfrom men, but from God.‖ (Rom. 2:28-29)

The Fake and the True―Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan,who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie-I will makethem come and bow down at your feet, and make themknow that I have loved you.‖ (Revelation 3:9)• Bowing down at someone's feet was theancient posture of a humbled, defeated enemy.• ―Thus says the Lord God, I'll lift up My handto the nations, I'll set up My standard to thepeoples, they will bring your sons in theirbosom and your daughters will be carried ontheir shoulders. Kings will be your guardians,princes your nurses and I'll make them bowdown to you with their faces to the earth andlick the dust of your feet and you'll know I amthe Lord.‖ (Is. 49:23)

The Promise"Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, Ialso will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour whichis about to come upon the whole world, to test those whodwell on the earth." (Revelation 3:10)• True believers persevere. Whereas falsebelievers fall away, true Christianspersevere until the end• The believers of Philadelphia had past allthe tests to demonstrate their true faith –they had the Holy Spirit, they keptChrist‘s word, and they had not deniedHis name• Because of their faithfulness, there wereno further tests they needed to endure

The PromiseJames 1:12

The Promise – Kept from the „Hour of Testing‟"Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, Ialso will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour whichis about to come upon the whole world, to test those whodwell on the earth." (Revelation 3:10)• Some say that this hour of testing wouldbe some sort of natural disaster for thoseback in the first century, but mostcommentators believe this refers to afuture event• All faithful churches like the Philadelphiachurch will be kept from some sort ofglobal event (‗upon the whole world‘)

―What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth?Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy Oneof God!‖ " (Mark 1:24)―The angel answered and said to her, ―The Holy Spirit will comeupon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; andfor that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. "(Luke 1:35)―We have believed and have come to know that You are the HolyOne of God.‖ (John 6:69)―But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for amurderer to be granted to you" (Acts 3:14)

The Promise – Kept from the „Hour of Testing‟"Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, Ialso will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour whichis about to come upon the whole world, to test those whodwell on the earth." (Revelation 3:10)• This test appears to be for unbelieversbased on how the phrase ―those who dwellon the earth‖ is used throughout the restof the book of Revelation• The test is future as the promise is ―IWILL keep you…‖• This test appears to be the 70 th week ofDaniel, the last 7 years of God‘stimetable laid out in Daniel chapter 9

The Church is gone, but some are saved―When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath thealtar the souls of those who had been slain because of theword of God, and because of the testimony which they hadmaintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying,"How long , O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain fromjudging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on theearth ?‖ And there was given to each of them a white robe ;and they were told that they should rest for a little whilelonger, until the number of their fellow servants and theirbrethren who were to be killed even as they had been, wouldbe completed also.‖(Revelation 6:9-11)

The Church is gone, but some are saved―After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one couldcount, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before thethrone and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in theirhands ; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, " Salvation to our God who sitson the throne, and to the Lamb." And all the angels were standing around thethrone and around the elders and the four living creatures ; and they fell on theirfaces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, " Amen, blessing and glory andwisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God foreverand ever. Amen." Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who areclothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?" I said tohim, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out ofthe great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in theblood of the Lamb. "For this reason, they are before the throne of God ; and theyserve Him day and night in His temple ; and He who sits on the throne will spreadHis tabernacle over them. "They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore ; nor willthe sun beat down on them, nor any heat ; for the Lamb in the center of the thronewill be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life ; and Godwill wipe every tear from their eyes.‖‖(Revelation 7:9-17)

The Promise – Kept from the „Hour of Testing‟"Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, Ialso will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour whichis about to come upon the whole world, to test those whodwell on the earth." (Revelation 3:10)• Some try and say the church will go throughthe hour of testing: ―I will also keep youwithin the hour of testing.‖ The verb tereowhich means to keep or guard is followed bya little preposition ek. Ek means ‗out of‘.There is a word for in, en, there is a word forthrough, dia. Jesus didn't use en, He didn'tsay, "I'll keep you in it." He didn't use dia,"I'll keep you through it." He used ek, "I'llkeep you out of it."

―Now My soul has become troubled ; and what shallI say, ' Father, save Me from this hour '? But for thispurpose I came to this hour.‖(John 12:27)Jesus uses the same Greek preposition ek that isused in Revelation 3:10 that says the faithful churchwill be kept out of the hour of testing.

The Promise – Kept from the „Hour of Testing‟"Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, Ialso will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour whichis about to come upon the whole world, to test those whodwell on the earth." (Revelation 3:10)• ―about to come upon the whole world‖communicates a sense of immanence; that itis near• ―You too be patient ; strengthen yourhearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.‖(James 5:8)• ―Do this, knowing the time, that it is alreadythe hour for you to awaken from sleep ; fornow salvation is nearer to us than when webelieved. The night is almost gone, and theday is near.‖ (Rom. 13:11-12)

Another Promise and Command―I am coming quickly ; hold fast what you have, so that noone will take your crown.‖ (Revelation 3:11)• Which coming is Jesus speakingabout? Since there is nocondemnation for this church, itappears He is talking about Hissecond coming.• The word ‗quickly‘ is ‗tachys‘, whichmeans suddenly or at a rapid rate.• This is a reference to the immanenceof Christ‘s coming; it could happen atany time.

Another Promise and Command―I am coming quickly ; hold fast what you have, so that noone will take your crown.‖ (Revelation 3:11)• What does ―what you have‖ refer to? Itrefers back to what He commendedthem for having: power, obedience, andfaithfulness to Christ.• The only crown that can be lost for abeliever is a crown of rewards.• ―If any man‘s work is burned up, he willsuffer loss; but he himself will be saved,yet so as through fire." (1 Corinthians3:15) .

The Last Promise―He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple ofMy God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I willwrite on him the name of My God, and the name of thecity of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes downout of heaven from My God, and My new name. "(Revelation 3:12)

“A Pillar in the Temple of My God…”• A pillar represents stability,permanence, and immovability. Faithfulbelievers will be a permanent fixture inGod‘s New Jerusalem.• The temple is God Himself: ―I saw notemple in it [the new Jerusalem], forthe Lord God the Almighty and theLamb are its temple. " (Revelation21:22)• The only thing left standing inPhiladelphian earthquakes were pillars;because of their faithfulness in trials,these (and all believers) are leftstanding as well.

“Write on Him the name of My God…”• Three things written on the believer: (1) the name ofGod; (2) the name of the new Jerusalem; (3) Christ‘snew name• Writing you name on something indicates ownership ofthat particular thing.

The new Jerusalem"And I saw the holy city, newJerusalem, coming down out ofheaven from God, made ready asa bride adorned for her husband.And I heard a loud voice from thethrone, saying, ―Behold, thetabernacle of God is among men,and He will dwell among them, andthey shall be His people, andGod Himself will be among them,"(Revelation 21:2-3)

“My new Name”• ―His eyes are a flame of fire,and on His head are manydiadems; and He has a namewritten on Him which no oneknows except Himself. "(Revelation 19:12)• At present incommunicable andonly known to God: to behereafter revealed and made thebeliever‘s own in union with Godin Christ. Christ‘s name writtenon him denotes he shall bewholly Christ‘s.

The Repeated command to Hear―He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says tothe churches.‖ (Revelation 3:13)This phrase is repeated each time in Christ‘saddress to the seven churches of Revelation. Inthe gospels (it is never used in John), it isalways used to highlight radical truths, greatprinciples, and promises.Note that Jesus says it is the Spirit speakingto the churches, even though He is the actualone talking: ―All Scripture is inspired by Godand profitable for teaching, for reproof, forcorrection, for training in righteousness‖(2 Timothy 3:16)

Conclusions• This church represents that faithful church / set of believerswho keep Christ‘s word and don‘t deny Him in the world• Their reward (and ours) is to be granted eternal life, keptfrom the tribulation that is going to come upon the wholeworld, and be visibly praised even by Christ‘s enemies• All true believers are unshakable because they are kept byGod‘s power in faith

―To the angel ofthe church inPhiladelphiawrite…‖The faithful church