Revelation Episode 4: Letters to the Churches- Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, Part 2

Jesus commends, exhorts, and encourages the faithful in Philadelphia who rely on God's strength to keep his word and receive his secret name.

- Podcast Transcript -

Wes

Welcome to the Two Journeys Bible Study Podcast. This podcast is just one of the many resources available to you for free from Two Journeys ministry. If you're interested in learning more, just head over to twojourneys.org. Now on to today's episode. This is Part 2 of Episode 4 in our Revelation Bible Study Podcast entitled Letters to the Churches: Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, where we'll discuss the letter to the church at Philadelphia in Revelation 3:7-13. I'm Wes Treadway and I'm here with Pastor Andy Davis. Andy, what are we going to see in these verses that we're looking at today?

Andy

Well, in these seven churches, there are two churches that receive no negative hard things said about them, and one is the church at Smyrna that's being aggressively persecuted. And the other is this church at Philadelphia, what we would generally call the faithful church or faithful or fruitful church. And so, we're going to look at Christ's commendation, exhortations and encouragements to a faithful church. All of us healthy churches want to be the church at Philadelphia. I don't think we necessarily want to be the church at Smyrna being crushed by the government or by community forces that hate Christ and are arresting us. But here's this church that's being persecuted, but mostly it's just that they're being incredibly faithful and fruitful. We desire that.

Wes

Let me go ahead and read verses 7-13 in Revelation 3.

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: "The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie- behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go 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 comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

How does Christ describe himself to the church at Philadelphia?

Andy

He says, "These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David." And then it says, "What he opens, no one can shut and what he shuts, no one can open" (Revelation 3:7). And so, this is the sovereign Christ. He holds the key of David. I think it lines up with his being the son of David or in the Davidic line, and this is also language from the Book of Isaiah. And the key idea, the concept is that he has authority. He holds the keys of Death and Hades it says in Revelation 1. So, he's in charge, he's sovereign. And specifically, he's sovereign over every door there ever is in the world. Every door in the world, he can open or shut as he sees fit. And when he shuts a door, it stays shut and no one can open it. And when he opens the door, it stays open, and no one can shut it. That's sovereign power.

And the door represents providential opportunity, I believe. "See," he says, "I have placed before you an open door which no one can shut." I even know local churches that name themselves for this verse, the Church of the Open Door. Meaning God has set before this church an open door of opportunity, walk through it. The idea is you have a chance now, you have an opportunity, walk through that door. And Paul uses the same language in Corinthians. He says, I'm going to stay here because "God has placed before me a great open door of ministry" (1 Corinthians 16:9). It's an idea of opportunity for ministry. And so, it's beautiful that there's nothing Satan can do to shut that door. Jesus used that language about the scribes and Pharisees. He said, "You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You lock it so that they can't get in. You yourselves don't enter and you won't let those enter who are trying to get in" (Matthew 23:13 paraphrase). Well, those are servants of Satan. Jesus says, "When I set a door open before a local church, Satan, all the demons cannot shut it."

"Jesus says, 'When I set a door open before a local church, Satan, all the demons cannot shut it.'"

Wes

Now, it's important, I think, for this church to be reminded of the sovereign strength of Christ because of what he says next. When Christ says, "I know you have little strength," what does this teach us about this church and their situation and their witness in the world?

Andy

Well, let's be honest, we're weak. And we are weak. Paul says, "When I'm weak, then I'm strong" (2 Corinthians 12:10). We're frail. We're flesh and blood. We think about Satan and demons opposed to us, and what are we? Who are we that we could oppose Satan and his demons as we try to push back the powers of darkness by the proclamation of the word? And so, we're just flesh and blood. We're just human beings and we're frail. We're also mortal. We can die. We are weak physically. We can get sick. We get tired. As it says at the end of Isaiah 40:30-31, "Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall. But those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. They will run and not grow weary. They'll walk and not be faint."

So, we get tired, we have to go to bed at night. We get weak, we haven't eaten in a while, we have to eat and renew our strength. So, we are like flickering candles that we're weak. And it's good to know that. First of all, it's true. And second of all, the more that we're aware of that and take that weakness back to God in prayer, the better we'll be. As Paul said, the Lord said to him, "My strength is made perfect in weakness. You bring me your weakness, I'll show you my strength." And so, he says, "I know that you have a little strength, but look what you've done. You've kept my word and have not denied my name. You've stood fast despite your weakness. And you have been courageous and bold witnesses in the face of persecution."

Wes

It's a powerful reminder for us as we feel acutely our weakness, that in Christ we are strong. And if he has indeed set this open door before us, we have all that we need to make him known even in the face of great opposition, which it seems they were experiencing. What is the synagogue of Satan and what does Christ say he will do to these people?

Andy

Well, if you were there in Philadelphia or just in that time in Asia Minor, you would realize that Jews had been scattered all over through the two exiles, the Syrian exile and then the Babylonian exile. So, they're all over the place and it was part of the providence of God. And so, in almost every community where Paul went, there would be a synagogue, there would be Jews there. And some of them would believe in Christ and become Christians, be part of the church. But most of them wouldn't and they would begin to persecute and oppose the church. For the most part, the pagan leaders and the pagan community, for the most part, not always, but for the most part didn't care. They were just indifferent. As long as the business was good and all that. Now if they impinged on the business of selling idols or something like that, they'd start to care.

But other than that, the people who were really passionately committed to shutting the church down were Jews. And they were opposed to Jesus as the Messiah. They hated Jesus as the Messiah, but they were clinging to Moses and clinging to the old ways. Jesus openly says in John 8:44, "You are of your father the devil. He was a murderer from the beginning not holding to the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language. He was a murderer and a liar from the beginning. You are of your father the devil." So, Jesus is the one that started this concept of unbelieving Jews being children of the devil. And this is not far from that. This language is they are a synagogue of Satan, not a true synagogue of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Wes

What does Christ say he will do to these people?

Andy

He says, "I'm going to make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you." I have a hard time seeing that except in two senses. One is that they have been converted, and that's wonderful, good news. And the other is on Judgment Day when all true Christians will be completely vindicated against their enemies. As Paul says in Romans 16:20, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet." I don't see that happening any time before the second coming of Christ on Judgment Day.

So, I think the ultimate consummation of these Jews who are of a synagogue of Satan, falling down at your feet and acknowledging that Jesus has loved them is on Judgment Day before they get sent to hell. Now, we would hope that it would happen here in this present life, that they would do it just as part of their own awareness of Christ and conversion and then a love for these Christians in Philadelphia as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. So, that would be the best-case scenario for them. But ultimately, if it doesn't happen in this life, it's going to happen on Judgment Day.

Wes

It seems that's even consistent with what Paul expresses in Romans, his desire that there would be those who would be saved, who would repent, who would recognize God's kindness. Perhaps even provoked by jealousy at this love that God has shown to those who have placed their faith in Christ and in that to repent and believe in him.

Andy

Right. But the language here, I think sadly, is much more of a Judgment Day scenario. It's like, "I'm going to force them. I'm going to make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge I have loved you." And so, it's definitely, though, vindication. It's like, they were your enemies, they opposed you, they hated you. And now look, it's very much like he says, "'Do not take revenge, for vengeance is mine,' says the Lord. On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing that, you'll heap burning coals on his head'" (Romans 12:19-20). So, I think the idea is on Judgment Day, they will see what the truth is.

Wes

What else does he promise in verse 10? And what's the basis of his promise to them there?

Andy

Well, this is a very important verse. Historically, I think this is one of the key verses that people who believe in a so-called secret rapture, turn to, Revelation 3:10, "I will keep you from the hour of testing that's going to come on the whole earth." So, that's the great tribulation and you won't have to go through it. I'm going to keep you from it. Well, that's one translation. It could be I will keep you in it or through it as well. So, the one is, "I'll keep you from it by whisking you away, by taking you out of the world." So, this would be where they would teach that secret rapture. "Since you kept my command to endure patiently, I will keep you from the hour trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth."

So, read about it later in the Book of Revelation, the mark of the beast, all the persecutions, all of that. It's going to be terrible. It's going to be a very, very hard time. But more likely if we look at church history, it is not so much that the Lord keeps his loved ones from those things, but he keeps his loved ones through those things. They are sustained and strengthened. So, for example, in Daniel 7, with the fourth beast and then the little horn and all that, the saints are crushed, the saints are defeated, the saints are physically destroyed. They're killed, they're incarcerated, they lose their possessions. But in the end, they inherit the earth. And so, to me, it's much more likely that the language here in Revelation 3:10 is that the Lord will sovereignly protect them, sustain them. Some will be martyrs, yes, but in the end, all of them will be vindicated through resurrection and through them inheriting the earth. And I'm going to enable you to survive.

So, fundamentally, I think it is that an hour of testing is going to come on the whole earth, and they will continue to shine through faith in Christ, will not cave in, they will not yield. And in the end, they'll be completely vindicated. And so, I think it goes back also to 2 Timothy 4:16 where Paul says, "At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me." That was before Nero the emperor. And he says, "But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the gospel might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles, including Caesar, might hear it and I was delivered from the lion's mouth" (2 Timothy 4:17). Interesting statement. And then the next thing he says, "The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom" (2 Timothy 4:18).

Huh? Well, what's the last thing he says? Bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. He's already said, "I fought the good fight, finished the race, kept the faith, now there is in store for me a crown of righteousness" (2 Timothy 4:7-8). The time has come for my departure. I'm out. So, what does he think is going to happen? He thinks he's going to die. So, what does he mean he was delivered from the lion's mouth? The lion is Satan, according to Peter, 1 Peter 5. So, Satan was coming after me. So that the key moment of my life and ministry as I'm standing on trial one time before Caesar, the most powerful man on earth, that I did not crumple through unbelief and fear and craven terror about my own body, but I stood firm and boldly preached the gospel. The Lord gave me strength to do that. I think that's what Revelation 3:10 is all about. The Lord will enable his saints to stand firm in the hour of testing and to testify boldly to their faith in Christ.

Wes

Now again and again, Christ promises, "I am coming soon." Why does he make that promise so frequently? And what effect should this promise have on Christians?

Andy

We have the hardest time believing that what is seen is temporary and what is unseen is eternal and that we should therefore walk by faith. The world that is coming is eternal. The present world is temporary. And so, we need to be reminded again and again and again and again that Jesus is coming soon. All this is temporary. Our sufferings are light and momentary and aren't worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. We need to be told that again and again. He says it three times in the final chapter of this book. So, we're going to see that again and again. He's going to make it very plain; he's coming soon.

"We have the hardest time believing that what is seen is temporary and what is unseen is eternal and that we should therefore walk by faith. The world that is coming is eternal."

Wes

How should we interpret, "Hold on to what you have, lest anyone take your crown."

Andy

Well, we have a responsibility in sanctification to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling because it is God who works in us" (Philippians 2:12-13). So, there's a joint effort between us and the Holy Spirit in our sanctification. And some of that is our holding on to the truths of the faith. As he says earlier, he says, "I know that you have a little strength and that you have kept my word." See that in verse 8? "And have not denied my name."

We have a responsibility to do that. Let's hold on, hold fast to the word that was entrusted to us. Let's hold fast to the gospel. Let's hold fast to Christ. Hold on to what we have, which is our faith in Christ. We could also say, hold onto our rewards. Let's let no one take your crown. A crown would be rewards. So, hold fast, finish the race. Like Paul says, "I fought the good fight, finished the race, kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). Run through the finish line. Jesus said, "He who stands firm to the end will be saved" (Matthew 24:13). So, there is a persevering that we're responsible for. So, that's what he means. Hold fast to what you have and don't let anyone come and seize your crown.

Wes

What does Christ then promise to the one who overcomes or conquers?

Andy

"I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God." And this is beautiful. The idea is of a heavenly architecture. Those are one of the two images or more than two, but we have a biological image of the church as a body and Christ, the head. And then there's this architectural image of a living temple rising to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. And Peter uses that in 1 Peter 2:5 (paraphrase), "We are living stones." But here a pillar is an adornment. It is structural, but it's also beautiful. And there were different types at the top of the columns that would be carved in a certain way, and it would look beautiful. So, the idea is ornamentation and structure. I'm going to put you in my spiritual temple, and you'll be a pillar there forever and you will never leave that temple. So, I'm going to make you a pillar in the temple of my God.

He also says, "I'm going to write on him the name of my God" (Revelation 3:12). So, that's a sense of ownership that God's name will be written on you, and you'll never leave that place. You'll be there for all eternity. "I'll write the name of my God on you and the name of the city of my God," he says, "which is the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from my God." Which is such a foretaste. So, we're only two and three quarters chapters in and we're already talking about the glories of the new Jerusalem that are coming down. I think about John writing this, as he's writing, it's like, wait, what are you talking about? We'll get to it. We're getting to a descending new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven. But Jesus gives a foretaste here and it's so beautiful.

So, the fact is that city will be written on him. It's a sense of ownership, a sense I belong, I'm here. My name is written in his hands and on his heart and his name is written on me and so is the city. It's a sense of complete ownership. "And I'm also going to write on him," he says, "my new name." That's Christ's new name. So, there's a name that is above every name, a sense of the majestic greatness and power of Christ. Again, that sense of ownership.

Wes

What's the overall message to the church at Philadelphia and what final thoughts do you have for us today?

Andy

Well, like every one of these seven churches is, he has an ear let them hear what the Spirit says to the church. They're supposed to listen to this. So, we've walked through, Wes, these verses line by line, every verse, every phrase. And the idea is to take these things to heart. We have an ear. It's been opened up for us. It is the ear of faith, we could say. We're able to hear him speaking. And as he says in Thessalonians, "You received it not as the word of man, but as it actually is the word of God, which is at work in you who believe" (1 Thessalonians 2:13). So, you're hearing as though God himself, as though Christ himself were speaking these words to you, and you're taking them to heart.

Wes

Well, this has been Part 2 of Episode 4 in our Revelation Bible Study podcast. We want to invite you to join us next time for Part 3 of Episode 4, entitled Letters to the Churches: Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, where we'll discuss the letter to the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22. Thank you for listening to the Two Journeys Podcast. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to be with you all.