Churches of Revelation
#6 The church of Philadelphia:
“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, says this:
I know your deeds.
Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut because you have a little power,
and have kept My Word, and have not denied My name…
Because you have kept the word of My perseverance,
I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have so that no one will take your crown.
He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God,
and he will not go out from it anymore;
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 out of heaven from My God,
and My new name.
Revelation 3:7-13
This is the modern day true church – those who trust in the blood of Jesus for their salvation and have died to self that they might live for Jesus. There is another modern day church – the church of Laodicea. We will discuss this church tomorrow.
I love the names that Jesus chose for Himself here. He is holy and true. Nothing will change His character for He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He has the key of David that will unlock for all true believers the promises of an eternal Jerusalem.
Jesus begins with the statement that He knows the deeds of the saints and that because of these deeds of the heart, Jesus has placed before the saints a door to heaven that no one can shut. He is faithful and true. His promises are everlasting! Here upon this earth, the true church has a little power – the power to tell others and to invite them to Jesus, to use the word for the healing of the brokenhearted. They have that power because they keep the word of God and do not deny Jesus.
This true church has persevered despite Satan’s attacks and the false church’s accusations. They have pushed ever forward with the goal of heaven set out before them. Because of that perseverance, Jesus is promising that the true church will not go through the tribulation. But that rather, God will pull them out. But He also warns them that He is coming quickly and that the true church must hold fast to the truth so that their crown will not be taken from them. We are to persevere and seek only the goal of obedience and heaven. We must know the truth that we may hold onto the truth. We must hold fast that confession.
To these overcomers, God is promising them a position of permanency and responsibility in heaven or perhaps in the millennial kingdom. It will be a position of belonging such that the true believer will never have leave the temple. He will be a priest before God for eternity. The promise of God to claim the saints as His heir will be fulfilled as He writes His name upon them – claiming them as His eternal bride. All that is His will be theirs.
Oh what a glorious day! I choose to hold fast to the truth, to know the truth, to seek out the truth, and to persevere. I pray that this is your goal as well as we continue to live out this life here on earth until the day of Christ’s return. And never doubt, He Is Coming!!!