Today, we will be looking at Christ’s message to the church in Philadelphia. We will see that this church starkly contrasts the church in Sardis. They have done everything right where the church in Sardis failed. Yet, they are still warned to continue persevering against falling into the ways of the church in Sardis.
Jesus began His message to the church in Philadelphia by saying, “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’” (Rev. 3:7). This verse is a reference to Isaiah 22:22, which says, “And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.” Jesus is the final fulfillment of that verse, being “the Holy One,” “the True One,” and the true David, ruling over true Israel forever as the God-man. The “key of David” likely refers to all the authority and power given to Christ—the true David. These keys appear to refer to entrance into the Kingdom of God, much like the keys given to the disciples from Christ (delegated from Him, as in Matt. 16:19 and 18:18). Barnes’ Notes on the Bible said of this, “Applied here to the Saviour, as king in Zion, this means that in his kingdom he has the absolute control in regard to [the] admission or exclusion of anyone. He can prescribe the terms; he can invite whom he chooses; he can exclude those whom he judges should not be admitted,” and Matthew Poole said, “Christ is here described as he who has the sole and absolute power of saving and condemning whom he pleases” (language modernized). In other words, Jesus is the One who opens the door of salvation that no one can shut, and shuts that none can open. What Christ decides is absolute. The context shows that this is not about Christ making special opportunities for them, but contrasts with the church in Sardis, where He was threatening to shut the door of salvation to them as a church if they did not repent (i.e., no more genuine believers would remain in that church). Here, the door is wide open to the church in Philadelphia, which we can also see based on His commendation later.
Verse 8 then says, “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.” In the beginning of this verse, Jesus declared that He knows their works. However, this is different than how He knew the works of Sardis, since the church of Philadelphia is keeping His Word with patient endurance (the opposite of many in Sardis). This, with the promise of a door that will not be shut, seems to indicate that Christ promises to preserve the church in Philadelphia. He knows them in a saving way and sees the evidences of true transformation—that they are truly His. Despite their weakness, they stayed true to Christ, and Christ will cause their enemies to bow down before them: “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” (verse 9). Only those who follow Jesus are reckoned as true Jews, and the Jewish rejection of Jesus’ sacrifice makes all that they do abominable to God. In fact, rather than serving God, these false “Jews” have come to attack God’s true people: His churches. So, not only will the false Jews bow down before the church in Philadelphia, but they will also know that God’s favour (love) rests upon them. They will see and acknowledge that Christ’s church is God’s true people.
Verse 10 then says, “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.” This “hour of trial” could have meant many things. It could not have meant avoiding persecution, since there were many from this church martyred with Polycarp (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History. l. 4. c. 15). The point is that Christ promised to preserve the church in some way for Himself before His return.
The rest of the passage says,
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 (verses 11-13).
Despite Christ’s promise of preservation (of those faithful in that generation), He still commanded the church to hold tightly to the faith that they have, that they may continue in their good works. They still need to persevere, and all those that Christ has preserved will receive their crowns of life. Just because Jesus commended them and promised to preserve them, this does not mean that they should go lax in their Christian walks, but must persevere to the end. To the one who perseveres, Christ will make them into pillars in God’s temple. This likely refers to their permanent and unmovable dwelling with God. They will be forever with God in His radiant and glorious presence. Notice also the threefold repetition of the “name” written on them: (1) the name of God, (2) the name of the New Jerusalem, (3) and Jesus’ new name. The threefold repetition shows that those who persevere will most certainly be reckoned closely with God forever. They will be full citizens of Christ’s heavenly kingdom and share in God’s glory. “Name” here represents ownership by God, belonging to His kingdom, and association with Him forever. “Name” also refers to the being or a person to whom the name belongs, representing their honour and reputation. A change of name also represented that something changed in the status or nature of the person. In this regard, the name also symbolizes their approval and their upholding of God’s name. In the same way, we too need to uphold and honour the Lord’s Name, and show it to be above all else. In fact, that is the point of the perseverance of the Church. It is a perseverance for Christ’s Name.
What name are we upholding above all else? Our own? Someone else’s? The church in Philadelphia refused to deny Christ’s name, even in light of terrible persecution from false Jews and perhaps others. We too need to persevere, regardless of what comes our way. It is a both/and. It requires Christ’s grace, which we have and can trust if we are in Him. And it requires our active perseverance to hold to pure teaching and works. If we are truly saved, then we will increasingly excel in this perseverance, and continue on doing so. Are we persevering? Are we being persecuted, or are we compromising the honour of His Name in order to avoid it? Endure to the end and you too can have a crown of life. We cannot ever go through the Christian walk expecting Him to do everything—as if we are helpless. That is a recipe for spiritual laziness and for disaster. Rather, even though Christ promises to preserve those that are truly His, He still commands them to persevere and to be steadfast. Perseverance will mark those He preserves. May we not be self-deceived into thinking that God does not require any faithfulness, or self-discipline, or endurance in us. That Christ’s Name is attached to His own is not a point of chance, but is a testament to their perseverance. It is a reward for enduring. May we strive for this endurance with the grace that He supplies. If we are His own, then we will endure.
Next time we will be looking at the last of the seven churches: the church in Laodicea.