Devotions with Dre Episode 23: Book of Revelation Part 8: Philadelphia

Philadelphia Rev 3:7-13 “The Faithful Church” Topics: the key, the door, the hour, the pillars

Ephesus, Pergamum, and Thyatira: both a praise and a rebuke

Smyrna and Philadelphia : only a praise

Sardis and Laodicea : only rebuked

Rev 3:7-13 MSG:  Write this to Philadelphia, to the Angel of the church. The Holy, the True—David’s key in his hand, opening doors no one can lock, locking doors no one can open—speaks:

8 “I see what you’ve done. Now see what I’ve done. I’ve opened a door before you that no one can slam shut. You don’t have much strength, I know that; you used what you had to keep my Word. You didn’t deny me when times were rough.

9 “And watch as I take those who call themselves true believers but are nothing of the kind, pretenders whose true membership is in the club of Satan—watch as I strip off their pretensions and they’re forced to acknowledge it’s you that I’ve loved.

10 “Because you kept my Word in passionate patience, I’ll keep you safe in the time of testing that will be here soon, and all over the earth, every man, woman, and child put to the test.

11 “I’m on my way; I’ll be there soon. Keep a tight grip on what you have so no one distracts you and steals your crown.

12 “I’ll make each conqueror a pillar in the sanctuary of my God, a permanent position of honor. Then I’ll write names on you, the pillars: the Name of my God, the Name of God’s City—the new Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven—and my new Name.

13 “Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.

Now from the AMP

7 “And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in [c]Philadelphia write:

“These are the words of the Holy One, the True One, He who has the key [to the house] of David, He who opens and no one will [be able to] shut, and He who shuts and no one opens:

8 ‘I know your deeds. See, I have set before you an open door which no one is able to shut, for you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not renounced or denied My name. 9 Take note, 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 at your feet and make them know [without any doubt] that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept the word of My endurance [My command to persevere], I will keep you [safe] from the hour of trial, that hour which is about to come on the whole [inhabited] world, to test those who live on the earth. 11 I am coming quickly. Hold tight what you have, so that no one will take your crown [by leading you to renounce the faith]. 12 He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will make him a [d]pillar in the temple of My God; he will most certainly never be put out of it, and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which descends out of heaven from My God, and My [own] new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches.’

(side note: synagogue of satan: see previous episode on smyrna - also, i just read isaiah and there's a lot of prophesy about a future day where nations will acknowledge and honor the hebrews again, now here John is utilizing that language with the coming and bowing and acknowledging to say ppl who claim they're Hebrew but reject what God's up to will be forced to acknowledge Jesus followers including gentiles! are loved/chosen by God! )

Historical context: This ancient city of Philadelphia has been prone to earthquakes. It was destroyed and re-built multiple times, so there aren’t a ton of physical artifacts from Bible times like with other cities. But we know this church was one that faced definite persecution and hardship during this time.

topic 1: Spiritual keys

Rev 3:7 “These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David.”

Here’s what this means: after Jesus rose he now holds the power over all life and death, every realm. and now He says He has “the keys to the house of David”.

The way john describes Jesus here parallels an earlier description; He's the First and Last, even the Living One, who was dead but now lives forever and hold the keys of death and hades in chapter 1, and He's the holy one, the true one, the one in chapter 3. pretty similar and holds the keys but the keys are described differently now - as the keys of David.

Hesier and Beale make this link much more obvious in their various studies on rev. but here’s the short of it:

There’s an earlier ref to important Keys: 1:18 says,“ I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” BTW The phrase “the keys to death and hades” can either be translated "the keys to death and hades" or "the keys belonging to death and hades" - so we can either personify these names as entities or consider them places - theres precedent elsewhere in the Bible for both understandings, and places in the ot that would support both takes - they’re personified in hosea 13:14 for instance: “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.”

In Rev 1, Jesus is given sovereignty over death and grave bc he resurrected.

This relates to 1 peter 3 “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive,[d] he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago”…(and then he specifies the time of noah)

- there was a descent into Sheol , the underworld, and now Jesus has the keys - the keys that Isaiah 22:22 called the key of the house of david (those same keys have mult names)

the tasks Jesus completed while in sheol were:

1, declare to the imprisoned fallen watcher spirits : ya'll arent getting out, also im not staying

2, take the keys from (the possibly personified gatekeepers) death and hades

So, Christ - the one who resurrected from death and is able to offer us everlasting life - now has authority over life and death, meaning he has control over those events AND that He rules over the people in both realms, aka living and dead people

To say it more succinctly, we’ve got rev 1:18 “I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades” Jesus says He holds the keys to death and hades, we've got 2:8 that re-emphasizes the importance of His resurrection: “These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again”

…and now we've got 3:7 where now John intentionally decides to use the verbiage key of david in place of keys of death and hades. “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.”

It’s looking a lot like John wants to reference Isaiah 22. why? well Isaiah 22 is about God's plan to get rid of a corrupt king and install a king named Eliakim which means God Raises Up. eliakim is going to be Gods servant who will be described elsewhere in isaiah as a leader over judah who has the govt on his shoulders, who is called eternal father, who suffers for the sake of the kingdom and lays his life down... all typology that points to the messiah.

In Is 22 a new king is getting stewardship over the house of david, the ppl of God. to john in rev of course the kingdom we're talking about is the new eden. the key symbolizes sovereignty and rulership. Isaiah 20:20 “In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. 21 I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the people of Judah. 22 I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.”

John changes the verbiage to emphasize that Christ is the Jewish Messiah, and that the synagogue of Jews there is gonna have to admit one day that the church is indeed YHWH’s people.

(ps, thanks to the naked bible podcast ep 363 for tying in that isaiah stuff)

Which brings us to our next, related, Topic: Topic 2: An Open Door

Rev 3:7-8 “This message is sent to you by the one who is holy and true and has the key of David to open what no one can shut and to shut what no one can open.… I’ve placed before you an open door that no one can shut”

What does all this mean for Jesus' followers? it means in the new kingdom, the new eden, there is no more death!

I tend to think the open door metaphor is entrance into heaven, bc that would match with so much of what John emphasizes to the other churches. But others think this might be a reference to the way synagogues were kicking their brothers and sisters out for accepting Jesus, saying God’s the one that ultimately decides who’s in and who’s out.

Still others think it has to do with missions. I found a pastor’s notes in pdf form on cloudfront and he didnt put his name anywhere on it, but his research was spot on, so let me quote from the unnamed pastor on this missions possibility:

“Writing to the Corinthians of the work which lies ahead of him, Paul says: "For a wide door for effective work has opened to me (1 Cor 16: 9). When he came to Troas, a door was opened to him by the Lord (2 Cor 2: 12). He asks the Colossians to pray that a door of utterance may be opened for him (Col 4: 3). When he came back to Antioch he told how God had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 14: 27).

This meaning is particularly appropriate for Philadelphia. We have seen how it was a border town, standing where the boundaries of Lydia, Mysia and Phrygia met, and founded to be a missionary of Greek language and culture to the barbarous peoples beyond. It was on the road of the imperial postal service, which left the coast at Troas, came to Philadelphia via Pergamum, Thyatira and Sardis, and joined the great road out to Phrygia. The armies of Caesar travelled that road; the caravans of the merchant-men travelled it; and now it was beckoning the missionaries of Christ.”

Lots of opinions out there regarding the open door metaphor, but whatever it is exactly, Jesus has the key to it.

Topic 3: the hour of testing and Jesus’ 2nd coming

Rev 3:10-11 “Because you have kept the word of My endurance [My command to persevere], I will keep you [safe] from the hour of trial, that hour which is about to come on the whole [inhabited] world, to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold tight what you have, so that no one will take your crown [by leading you to renounce the faith].”

We see a ref to Daniel 12:1

1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.

In rev 3:11 coming soon could also be translated suddenly or quickly.

Some non-Christians use the long time frame as evidence of Christianity’s incorrectness. they point out that Paul and other authors seemed to think it was going to be any day, not 2000 more yrs plus… some atheists point to the fact that the return hasn't happened to make us look incorrect and duped and like all 2.4 billion of us are a cult etc.

[Tell sam story (end times getting longer than the regular times!)]

Many Bible scholars like Pete at The Bible for Normal People read these passages and conclude that the writers believed the return of Christ was likely happening in their lifetime or shortly after. Jesus Himself said no one knows, but His followers felt it was close at hand. even plenty of Christians arent convinced the return is going to be such a literal instant moment, but rather a global shift toward peace and abundance and all the things of heaven.

I kinda suspect there is a spiritual principal in the conversation, and that is the same thing that happens with being able to see the kingdom at hand, being able to see a vision of someone's healing, being able to understand someone's gifts and calling even if that person isn't clear on it yet... When you hang out with God regularly your perspective shifts and eternity becomes more tangible. A person who isnt walking with God is going to look at these concepts of the return, or God at work, or miracles and supernatural involvement as faraway concepts; they wont see them occurring close a hand. But a person who is worshiping and praying as a lifestyle is going to sense a closeness to heaven and sometimes see the plan and the future as they go through daily life. in that sense, of course the early disciples felt Christ's return as near and imminent - for a person focused on the story of God, its one of the most important events ever... for a person focused on the story of God its so close you can almost touch it right now.

Have you ever been down and out and gotten encouragement from a strong believer to hold on cause your breakthrough is right there and God is so active and you are victorious and everything's working together - all the things that feel so far and distant... to them it seems so close.

this is what a lot of the bk of rev feels like to me; it feels like that christian friend who has more faith than i do, putting their hand on my shoulder and reminding me that heaven is right here, and the future glory is so very close.

Topic 4: Pillars inscribed with names:

See also 22:4 “his name will be on their foreheads.”

This is Old Testament Name Theology applied to the believer (some jews and some gentiles). it's not about getting a random name-change, it's all of getting marked with the name of God. we get restored to YHWH's covenantal presence, the church being the latter day israel and therefore the inheritors of the blessings promised to israel in deutero-isaiah and other parts of hebrew scripture. if you have His name it means you belong to him. so john is clear that its not about ethnicity - there were lots of gentiles in these churches in asia minor - it's about believing loyalty to the hebrew's God, YHWH.

And why describe us as pillars? John’s using a familiar image from the Roman world that would resonate with his recipients of this letter. dont know if you’ve ever seen a picture of cary-ah-tids from the ruins of the Parthenon in Athens, but they’re literally carvings of robed people holding up the temples in rome.

Jonathan woodwall from Grace Pointe Church of Christ writes this: “Some people would donate money (become a benefactor) to the temple, and in so doing they would be given an inscription that included a dedication to the god, their home city, and their name.  John writes that Jesus will provide those who have given their lives to God their very own inscription that would include a dedication to God, they name of the city they reside in which is the new Jerusalem, and new name!  

Thus, in the letter to the church of Philadelphia there is reference to the surrounding culture like in each of the 7 letters to the churches.  This encouraging word takes something that they see as representative of the splendor of the Roman Empire, namely the ornate and vast architecture of the temples, and shows that as Christians participate in the building of God’s Kingdom, they are building something far greater than their eyes have experienced.”

In researching this letter, I also loved what Pastor Marq Toombs from Redeemer Rockwall said: “Jesus says to this church. I know your works, I know you've kept my word. I know you haven't denied my name. I know you've got religious enemies bearing down on you, trying to shut the kingdom of God in your face. I know that you have very little power. And then he addresses them as one who has all power...

Jesus introduced himself to the church in Philadelphia, by referring to himself as the Holy one, the true one, the one who holds the key of David, the one who opens doors and no one can shut them or shuts doors and no one can't open them. If you're very familiar with the Old Testament, then you'll see that that imagery is borrowed from the prophets and from the Psalms, as the prophets in the Psalms anticipated the coming of Jesus and hinted that when he comes, he will have total and absolute power, over his people, over the world, over the conditions of life. And that power will not corrupt him, but he will use that power to comfort his people. And this is in fact what Jesus is doing. The phrase ‘Holy One,’ the title, the Holy One is used some 29 times in the book of Isaiah alone. It's used in other places, but it's used throughout Isaiah, to refer to Yahweh, to God, who is the Savior and the creator of his people. In one passage, Isaiah 43 God says, “Fear not for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And when you pass through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you. And when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. Why, for I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel. I will be with you.”

And this was written to a people, spoken to people who were on their way to exile, on their way to captivity. And they were going to cross rivers, and some of them were going to be cast into ovens and burned in the flames. ….The Holy One of Israel is our Savior. And he is the one who has the power of the keys, he opens and shuts and no one can reverse what he has done. He opens and shuts the door to heaven, by the power of his sovereign grace. And no one can undo what he does.

And now it is this holy and true King who speaks to us in his word. He speaks to us who have very little power, very little influence, very little ability. And he reminds us that we're in good hands because the Lord our God is with us. "