Read Revelation 3:7-13.

Note: 1 Timothy 6:13-14a testifies to our Lord’s own steadfastness in the face of trial: “In the sight of God...and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you ¹⁴to keep this command.” In the light of Christ’s own steadfastness, the Apostle Paul now exhorts Timothy likewise to be faithful. In verse ten of Revelation chapter three, Lord Jesus is commending the church in Philadelphia for obeying that exhortation in their own situation.

Introduction⤒🔗

A woman in China, who was a Christian, one day paid a visit to a couple in her town who had no children of their own. When she arrived, she discovered that they had recently purchased a four-year old boy to raise as their own. The couple told the Christian woman that one thing about the boy was puzzling to them: before each meal he would fold his hands, close to his eyes, and quietly say something.

The woman immediately discerned that the little boy was a Christian. Furthermore, the woman recalled that she had seen an advertisement in a Christian newspaper about a young boy who was lost. When inquiry was made, it was learned that this little boy was the lost child. He had been stolen and sold to the childless couple. When his new adoptive parents were informed as to the facts of the case, they willingly returned the boy to his parents.¹

The thing that is striking about this case is the little boy’s faithfulness to Christ; despite the trials he encountered, he remained true to the Lord Jesus. The Word of God assures us that commitment to Christ in the face of the pressures of the world will receive its own unique reward from Christ. Because our Lord Jesus requires and rewards faithful commitment, let us be true to Him despite the pressures of the world.

Be True to Christ, and You will have an “Open Door” of Assurance with God←⤒🔗

When the Lord Jesus declares to the church in Philadelphia, “I know your works,” He is referring to the church’s lifestyle and testimony: their faithfulness to the Lord in the midst of trial and opposition. The Lord elaborates: “[I know] that you have little strength, and [yet] you kept my word, and did not renounce my name” (vs. 8b). Christ is acknowledging that although the church in Philadelphia had “little strength,” (i.e. they in themselves were feeble in comparison to the forces aligned against them), nevertheless, they remained faithful to Christ and refused to renounce their allegiance to Him.

The tense of the Greek verb (the aorist form of the verb, τqρεω) indicates a specific point of time in the past: “you kept my word.” No doubt, in the very recent past, this church encountered a specific testing of their allegiance to Christ. Perhaps there was the pressure to compromise or even deny the gospel in the name of tolerance. Philadelphia was a center for disseminating the Hellenistic culture, which was a universal and all-embracing culture, seeking to unite the ancient world under a common, cosmopolitan culture. But the church remained faithful; they kept Christ’s word and did not deny His name. In a similar way, consider the Apostle Paul’s exhortation to Timothy: “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 1:13). Timothy, likewise, is exhorted to “keep” the sound doctrine, and to do so in conjunction with a living faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who is the subject of that doctrine.

In the middle of verse eight, as a parenthesis, the Lord exclaims: “Behold, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.” The “open door” the church possesses is privilege, or assurance, with the Lord; it is confidence before God derived from their faithfulness to Him in the face of trial. With regard to this, consider the testimony of the Psalmist, “The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry” (Psl. 34:15). The “open door” granted to this church is the direct result of their faithfulness to Christ in the hour of trial. The symbol of the “open door” represents accessibility to the Lord and assurance before the Lord. This relationship with the Lord may be better appreciated when it is compared with the relationship of Esther to King Xerxes as described in Esther 5:1-3,

On the third day, Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. ²When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. ³Then the king asked, 'What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you.'

Just as Esther received favor with the great Persian monarch, all the more the church in Philadelphia, because of her faithfulness, received special favor, or confirmation of their acceptance, before the God of heaven.

What the Lord Jesus declares of the church in Philadelphia is the same type of thing the Apostle Paul speaks of in Philippians 1:27-29,

Live your life only in a way that is worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that if I come and see you, or if I remain absent, what I will hear about you is that you are standing firm in one spirit, and with one soul are contending for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸and that you are in no way being intimidated by those who oppose you. [Your firm stand] is a clear indication of their condemnation, but of your salvation. Indeed, this is from God, ²⁹because it has been graciously granted to you, for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.

As was the case with the Philippian church, so also was the church in Philadelphia “granted” (as a gracious privilege from God) a special measure of suffering; i.e. a specially deep experience of “the fellowship of [Christ’s] sufferings,” as the apostle describes it in Philippians 3:10. Together with this special measure of suffering, and as a reward for the faithful enduring of it, the Philippian Christians also received “a clear indication,” (or evidence), of their salvation. The “clear indication,” (or evidence), of their salvation is nothing other than their steadfast faithfulness to Christ in the face of opposition (note Phil. 1:27-28), which served as a strong assurance of their salvation. Faithfulness to Christ in the midst of trying circumstances or intense opposition is the clear indication and assurance that you belong to Christ and partake of His victory and salvation. Such faithfulness in the midst of trying circumstances is the tangible evidence and assurance that nothing is able to separate you from Christ the Savior. This same deepened measure of assurance, which results from faithfulness to Christ in the face of trial, was granted to the church in Philadelphia and expressed in terms of “an open door,” granting ample access to the presence of God.

The point that is being made in both Revelation 3:7-8 and Philippians 1:27-29 is this: When you display Christian courage or perseverance, God grants to you a special measure of assurance and evidence that you, indeed, belong to Christ and partake of His ultimate victory and salvation. Your status in Christ is assured and your access to the Father is confirmed.

Let us be true to Christ, so that we may have power with God: assurance and confidence before God, access to God and closeness to God, all to a heightened and intensified degree. The source of such faithfulness and perseverance is nothing other than the grace of God. As it is written of Joseph,

With bitterness, the archers attacked him, and shot at him, and persecuted him. ²⁴But his bow remained steady, and his arms were made strong by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, ²⁵by the God of your father who shall help you.Gen. 49:23­-25a

Be True to Christ, and You may be Spared from Greater Trials←⤒🔗

Because the church in Philadelphia has been faithful to her Lord by keeping His word, the Lord will be faithful to her by keeping her from “the hour of trial” (vs. 10). This “hour of trial” is defined as “[the trial] that is going to come upon the whole world in order to test those who live on the earth.” Here is a period of testing that will be universal; it will encompass the entire civilized world. The purpose of this trial is to test the hearts of men: to see whom they choose to be their God and to whom they give their ultimate allegiance and devotion.

This hour of trial is a reference to that period of history when the anti-Christ empire is permitted by God to exercise its demonic rule over the world. For the church in the first century, that hour of trial came in the form of the Roman Empire, especially at those periods when that empire vigorously sought to impose upon all its subjects its demand for divine homage to its emperor and itself. As we shall see, the Book of Revelation indicates that the Roman Empire of the first century was a precursor of the final worldwide anti-Christ empire that shall appear at the end of history. The ultimate “hour of trial” is reserved for that time when the anti-Christ empire shall re-emerge in its final form at the end of this present age.

The Lord’s promise to the faithful church in Philadelphia is that as a reward for faithfulness in her present trial, the Lord will spare her from this greater future trial. Sometimes the Lord’s promise is fulfilled by removing the greater future trial from us. By way of illustration: The boys invited Billy to join them in stealing apples from the tree in the old lady’s backyard; but because of his Christian principles Billy refused. A few years later, when those same boys made plans to steal a car, remembering Billy’s earlier refusal, they did not even bother to invite him to join them in their latest illegal exploit.

Sometimes the Lord fulfills His promise by removing His people from the greater future trial, as was the case of the faithful during the days of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah,

¹The righteous man perishes, but no one takes it to heart; devout men are removed, but no one understands that the righteous are removed [in order that they may be spared] from the [coming] calamity. ²The righteous enters into peace; they rest on their [death] beds, each one who walked in the way of righteousness.Isa. 57:1-2

Let us be true to Christ, so that we might be spared from future trials. Note: This is not a guarantee that the LORD makes to every Christian. Sometimes, as in the case of Abraham, the LORD ordained that a previous trial, (in Abraham’s case, the sending away of his son, Ishmael, as recorded in Genesis 21:14), would serve as preparation for the successful encounter with a greater trial: the offering up of his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice to the LORD, (as recorded in Genesis 22:3).

However, being spared from a greater trial in the future as a reward for the faithful endurance of a present trial, is a distinct possibility; it is a blessing that the LORD sometimes grants to those who faithfully endure their appointed trial. But what is a sure and ever-applicable guarantee is that the LORD will supply the grace to successfully endure whatever trial may come and that the LORD will give a rich reward of grace in proportion to the trial endured. Note, for instance, Genesis 49:25-26, which describes the reward granted to Joseph for his faithfulness:

With bitterness, the archers attacked him, and shot at him, and persecuted him. ²⁴But his bow remained steady, and his arms were made strong by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, ²⁵by the God of your father who shall help you, by the Almighty who shall bless you with blessings from heaven above, blessings from the deep that lies below, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. ²⁶The blessings bestowed upon your father have exceeded the blessings of my ancestors, [reaching] unto the utmost heights of the ancient mountains: they shall be bestowed upon the head of Joseph; indeed, upon the brow of him who was separated from his brothers.

Be True to Christ, and He will Honor You←⤒🔗

In introducing Himself to the church in Philadelphia, the Lord Jesus declares that He is “the one who is holy, the one who is true” (vs. 7). That is to say, He is a just and righteous God, faithful to reward and honor those who are faithful to Him, as the Apostle Paul assures the Thessalonian church who endured much suffering for the name of Christ:

God is just: He will pay back affliction to those who afflict you ⁷and give relief to you who are afflicted, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 2 Thess. 1:6-7

The Lord Jesus declares, “I will cause those who belong to the synagogue of Satan...to come and bow down at your feet and know that I have loved you” (vs. 9). “The synagogue of Satan” is defined as “those who claim to be Jews, but they are not.” The Lord Jesus is referring to the unbelieving Jewish community in Philadelphia. They declared themselves to be the people of God; they made such a declaration on the basis of their physical descent from Abraham. But in fact, they were devoid of any spiritual association with Abraham and with the Messiah, thus their claim was false. The Lord Jesus identifies them as “the synagogue of Satan” because, under the instigation of the devil, they rejected Him as the Messiah and sought to have Him put to death:

I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; nevertheless, you are trying to kill me, because my word finds no place in you. ³⁸I am relating the things I have seen in [my] Father’s presence; and you are doing the things you have heard from [your] father. ³⁹They responded by saying to him, Our father is Abraham. Jesus said to them, If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the things Abraham did. ⁴⁰But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham would not have done that. ⁴¹You are doing the things your father does. They said to him, We were not born out of wedlock; we have one Father, God [Himself]. ⁴²Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love me; because I came forth and have come from God. I have not come on my own initiative, he sent me. ⁴³Why do you not understand [me]? [It is] because you cannot receive my word. ⁴⁴You belong to [your] father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and is not established in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he is speaking in accordance with his own [nature], because he is a liar and the father of [lies]. ⁴⁵Because I am speaking the truth, you do not believe me. ⁴⁶Which one of you can convict me of sin? If I am speaking [the] truth, why do you not believe me? ⁴⁷The one who belongs to God receives the words of God. The reason you do not [receive my words] is because you do not belong to God. Jn. 8:37-47

It is never sufficient for men to declare themselves to be the children of God. By way of example, the Indian religious leader, Gandhi, proclaimed, “We are all children of God!” But such a statement coming from a mere man, any sinful man, is the height of arrogance and presumption. Does being the king’s subject give one the right to call himself the king’s son? And does our mere declaration cause it to be so? It is a true declaration only if you have been adopted by the king and are recognized by him as belonging to his household. It is only when a man has received the Lord Jesus Christ that the designation, “child of God,” rightfully applies to him: “to all who did receive him, to those who believe on his name, to them he gave the right to become children of God” (Jn. 1:12).

It appears that this unbelieving Jewish community contributed to the trial faced by the church in Philadelphia, maybe even instigating it. It is possible that the local Jewish community sought to create trouble for the church by informing the Roman authorities that the church honored Christ above Caesar. This is apparently what a malicious group of unbelievers sought to do against the Apostle Paul in the city of Philippi:

Some are preaching Christ out of envy and for the sake of strife, but others [are preaching] with good will. ¹⁶The [latter are doing so] out of love, knowing that I am standing on trial for the defense of the gospel. ¹⁷But [the former] are proclaiming Christ out of selfish ambition, not with a pure motive; [they are seeking] to stir up trouble for me in my imprisonment. Phil. 1:15-17

But the Lord Jesus shall honor His faithful church by causing the unbelieving Jewish community to “come and bow down at your feet.” Whether in the immediate present or on the Last Day, the Lord Jesus will cause the unbelieving Jews to acknowledge that He is the Messiah and that those who believe in Him are His people, the people of God. Consider the Jewish scholar Gamaliel’s counsel, given to those Jews in Jerusalem who were opposing the Christian church:

I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! If their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. ³⁹But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God. Acts 5:38-39

When the Lord Jesus shall exalt His church and cause her enemies to bow before her, then they shall know that “I have loved you.” The greatest honor is to be the object and the recipient of Christ’s love. This is the honor He bestows upon those who love Him and demonstrate their love by their faithfulness to Him: “If any man would serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant also be. If any man serves me, the Father will honor him” (Jn. 12:26).

The Lord Jesus concludes His epistle to the church in Philadelphia with the promise contained in verse twelve: “Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall never depart from there. I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem that is coming down out of heaven from my God, and my own new name.”

To be “a pillar in the temple of...God” means to be given a permanent place in the presence of God and to become a permanent part of His spiritual temple. To bear the name of God means to belong to God, to be His cherished possession and His inheritance. To bear the name of the city of God means to be a citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem, the kingdom of God. To bear the new name of Christ means to belong to Christ and partake of the glory God the Father bestows upon Him for His faithfulness.

Let us be true to Christ, so that we may receive the honor He bestows. The LORD declares through the Old Testament prophet Samuel, “those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me shall be disdained” (1 Sam. 2:30).

Conclusion←⤒🔗

Commitment to Christ in the face of the pressures of this world is what Christ expects and what He will amply reward. May the words of a contemporary Christian song become our prayer:

May all who come behind us find us faithful.
May the fire of our devotion light their way.
May the footsteps that we leave lead them to believe,
And the lives we live inspire them to obey.

Whatever we may be called to face, may it be our goal and our determination to hear our Lord address to each of us personally His words of commendation recorded in His parable found in Matthew 25:21, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will give you charge over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. Although the church in Philadelphia had “little strength” (i.e. they were feeble in comparison to the forces aligned against them), for what does Christ commend them? See Rev. 3:8. As a Christian living in this world, do you ever feel like Moses felt when the LORD commissioned him to go the Pharaoh? See Ex. 3:11. How did the LORD answer Moses? See Ex. 3:12a. Of what does the Lord Jesus assure us? See Matt. 28:18, 20,

I know your works. Behold, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. [I know] that you have little strength, and [yet] you kept my word, and did not renounce my name. Rev. 3:8

But Moses said to God, 'Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?' Ex. 3:11

Then he said, 'I will certainly be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.' Ex. 3:12

And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me... ²⁰...and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Matt. 28:18, 20b

2. What does Christ promise this congregation, and why does He bestow this blessing upon them? See Rev. 3:8b. When you remain faithful to Christ our Lord in the face of even the strongest opposition, what two things does this reveal? See 1 Jn. 4:4,

I know your works. Behold, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. [I know] that you have little strength, and [yet] you kept my word, and did not renounce my name. Rev. 3:8

The “open door,” representing accessibility to the Lord and assurance with the Lord, is given to those who remain faithful to Christ in the face of opposition.

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 Jn. 4:4

3. What further promise does the Lord Jesus give to this faithful church? See Rev. 3:10. Christian, do you appreciate the fact that your commitment to Christ in your present trial, may spare you from having to encounter even greater future trials? In similar fashion, what promise does the Lord make to us if we are faithful “over a few things” (i.e. faithfully serving Christ in a relatively minor task, or small ministry, or limited sphere of influence)? See Matt. 25:21. What must we realize if we are tempted to discount our present assignment as not worthy of our best effort? See Lk. 16:10; cp. Col. 3:23-24,

Because you have observed the testimony of my steadfastness, I in turn will be faithful to keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world in order to test those who live on the earth. Rev. 3:10

His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' Matt. 25:21

He who is faithful in what is least is also faithful in much; and he who is unrighteous in what is least is also unrighteous in much. Lk. 16:10

The way we handle small assignments indicates the way we will handle great assignment—there will be a correlation between the two.

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, ²⁴knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. Col. 3:23-24

4. How does Christ describe this future trial from which He will spare this faithful congregation? See Rev. 3:10; note Rev. 13:15-17. Could we be witnessing the rise of the “beast” in our day? If we must experience it, what promise does the LORD give us? See Isa. 43:1-3a. What means may the LORD use to spare us from that hour of trial? See Isa. 57:1-2. What have been some 20^th century precursors of the final “beast”?

Because you have observed the testimony of my steadfastness, I in turn will be faithful to keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world in order to test those who live on the earth. Rev. 3:10

[The false prophet] was permitted to give breath to the image of the beast, so that it could speak and cause all those who refused to worship it to be put to death. ¹⁶He compelled everyone, the insignificant and the prominent, the rich and the poor, the free man and the slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. ¹⁷No one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number [that represents] his name. Rev. 13:15-17

The “beast” represents a demonically-inspired totalitarian empire, which demands an allegiance/devotion that should only be rendered unto God Himself, and it seeks to enforce that demand by controlling its citizens ability to buy and sell in the marketplace. The Roman Empire of the first century, with its demand for supreme allegiance from its subjects, was a precursor of the final beast.

But now, this is what the LORD says—the one who created you, O Jacob, the one who formed you, O Israel. Do not be afraid, because I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name; you are mine. ²When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and [when you pass through] the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze; ³because I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.Isa. 43:1-3a

The righteous man perishes, but no one takes it to heart; devout men are removed, but no one understands that the righteous are removed [in order that they may be spared] from the [coming] calamity. ²The righteous enters into peace; they rest in their [death] beds, each one who walked in the way of righteousness. Isa. 57:1-2

5. What promise does our Lord Jesus make to the church in Philadelphia, and to all who are faithful to Him? See Rev. 3:12. What does the imagery of “a pillar in the temple of my God” convey? Note Psl. 23:6b. What is significant about bearing the name of God? See 1 Pet. 2:9. As Christians, what must we always bear in mind and make sure that it governs our lives? See 1 Sam. 2:30b,

Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall never depart from there. I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem that is coming down out of heaven from my God, and my own new name. Rev. 3:12

...I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psl. 23:6b

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people appointed to be [God’s] own possession, so that you might display the virtues of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.1 Pet. 2:9

...the LORD says, '...those that honor me, I will honor; but those that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed.' 1 Sam. 2:30b