No Condemnation: The Church in Philadelphia
Jesus’ letter to the church in Philadelphia is full of commendation with, contrary to every other church, no condemnation. And yet, there is still exhortation for they, like every other church, have not yet persevered to the end. They must “hold fast [to what they] 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” (Rev. 3:11-12).
What must they persevere through and overcome as conquerors? It seems, persecution. Specifically, Jewish persecution against them for following Jesus and claiming he is the Messiah and that the church of Christ is now God’s blessed people. “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” (vs. 9-10).
In other words, don’t give up following Christ. Don’t give up proclaiming Christ. Ironically, the local Jewish community in Philadelphia believed they are doing the Lord’s work in persecuting the Christian church, but they were in fact doing the work of Satan. Jesus’ encouragement to the church was not to falter in the midst of their ill-informed harassment. Don’t give up following Christ. Don’t give up proclaiming Christ.
This may be the meaning behind verse 8 where Jesus 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.” Even though the church isn’t influential, from a worldly perspective they have “little power” and are probably despised, still they have an open door of evangelism. Many commentators point to Paul’s words in 1 Cor. 16:8-9 where he says, “I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries” (see also 2 Cor. 2:12; Col. 4:3; and Acts 14:27).
Still, the language of an open door isn’t used by John to represent successful evangelism, and in the book of Revelation specifically an open door usually communicates open access to God and his grace (3:20; 4:1). In other words, “Are you struggling and finding it hard to keep on following Christ in and through the persecution you’re suffering under? Remember, because of Christ you have an open door to my sustaining grace. And no one can shut that door.”
This seems more compelling in light of how Jesus introduces himself in verse 7. “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.” Jesus, who is faithful and true, has the key of David. What is the key of David? Well, keys signify authority – the power to open and close, lock and unlock, as the rest of verse 7 indicates. But these keys specifically seem to allude to the keys wielded by Eliakim in Isaiah 22:20-22. There, Eliakim is given the keys to David’s house.
“In that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your sash on him, and will commit your authority to his hand. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 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” (Isa. 22:20-22).
Here, Eliakim serves as a type of Christ, and Christ is presented here in Revelation as the fulfillment of this text. Jesus who is clothed in a robe (Rev. 1:13), bound with a golden sash (Rev. 1:13), and given authority from the Father (Rev. 1:16, 20) over the churches – he will have the government of the church on his shoulders (Isa. 9:6) and with the authority of the keys he will grant or deny access to His throne of grace. To the Philadelphia church, access has been granted and no one can reverse that. To those who are persecuting the church – this “synagogue of Satan” – their access has been denied. In fact, notice the reversal of judgment in verses 9 and 10: “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.”
What amazing grace and protection. Still, they must persevere. It won’t be easy sailing. Don’t give up. Why? “I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown” (vs. 11). They – and we – are given the perspective of Christ’s imminent return and when he returns, he returns to judge. Condemnation for all who rebel and a coronation for all who persevere and remain faithful. “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.”
These are encouraging words for those many Christians who today are being beaten, imprisoned, and even threatened with death for simply following Christ. Heaven stands ever open to them now to beseech their God and King for sustaining, persevering grace. And heaven will remain open to them even after death. Therefore, may we all “hold fast.”
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (vs. 13).
