Revelation 3:7-13 - The message of Christ to the church of Philadelphia

Philadelphia, like Sardis, had suffered gravely from earthquakes that took place in ad 17. To a city that had known earthquakes, its people would naturally live with a certain degree of insecurity and trepidation. Hence nothing could be more appealing than the promise of a place in God’s permanent city. For sure, there could never be a safer city anywhere else. Hence we find in this message to the church in Philadelphia, Christ’s promise to absolute security of life in the Kingdom of God.

This message was given by “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 one opens.” Like the Heavenly Father, Jesus the risen Lord, is holy and true. He can be trusted and His words are sure. Having the key of David meant that He as the Messiah has the control over all of God’s house. With this key, He has the capacity to open or lock any and every door. He has the absolute power, and here He has opened the door widely into God’s Kingdom so that Christians in Philadelphia could have free access.

Like His message to the church in Smyrna, the unbelieving Jews were referred to as the synagogue of Satan. Instead of being a community center for Jews to gather for social and religious interaction, it had been used to block the message of the Messiah of Israel and the Kingdom from advancing. We now understand why He said He had the key of David. The true Jews are those who acknowledged Him, the Davidic Messiah. Jesus is the determining factor between one who is a true Jew and one who is not. Those who refused to acknowledge Him had given up the right to be called a Jew. Besides, there would eventually be a reversal of role, the unbelieving Jews will acknowledge and realize that the believers are truly the beloved of the Messiah.   

These believers, the overcomers, would be the one that will bear the new name. They will be marked out openly as God’s people, as the people that belong to Jesus, and also as citizens of the city when heaven and earth will merge forever. That would be a place where no earthquake or insecurity will ever be experienced. This is the ultimate reward of the overcomers who patiently endure the trial that would soon come upon the whole earth. This trial will be the factor that will reveal those who hold on to Jesus and his promise of the “crown”. The temple of God is surely the church of God. To be a pillar in God’s temple is to be a people that would sustain and bring stability to the church. To people living in a city threatened by earthquake, they would know the necessity to have strong pillars.

The desire of God is for Christians to be strong, mature and stable. We must not be tossed to and fro by every wind and doctrine and deceitful scheming of the evil one. Christ’s desire is that we will all come into the full knowledge of God and the unity of faith. This is a goal to pursue so that we will all be pillars, and bring stability to the fellowship.