3-2-2019 Open Door Policy Revelation 3:7-13
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Introduction:
Anne Starks grabbed the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go bungee jumping with a group of college friends during their spring break in Cancun. She found herself being fitted in a harness at the top of a bridge that stood 200ft above a peninsula bordering the Caribbean Sea. As her best friend was recording this unforgettable trip, a local boy went over all the safety rules and checklist as the excitement grew for the moment of the plunge. As he gives Anne the okay to jump, she inches to the edge of the platform with a racing heartbeat with the sweat on her brow to match the intense emotions.
She takes her last step out and hops off. The excitement immediately turns to horror as the friends noticed a panic look in the local boy’s eyes. He didn’t need to say anything because with each passing second and became painfully obvious to see that the bungee cord wasn’t moving. Somehow lost within all the excitement, the local boy had forgotten to attach the bungee cord to her harness. It was as this point in the video, that the camera drops to the floor and desperate gasps from her closest friends cut out.
With all the trust that these college students had in the bungee jumping instructor, in the strength of the cord and harness to support her, and in their friend’s ability, they abruptly learned on that day, it takes more than just trust to secure one’s life.
Transition:
The next church addressed in our journey through the Book of Revelation gets more than just trust to secure their eternity.
The message to the church at Philadelphia is in some ways one of the most interesting of all the messages to the churches. Here is a church which was faithful to Christ and to the Word of God. Jesus gives this church an almost cryptic message with symbolic doors and a sure out from some sort of hour of trial that is to come.
Scripture Reading:
Revelation 3:7–13
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.
8 “ ‘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.
9 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.
10 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.
11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.
12 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.
13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
This message has the unusual characteristic of being almost entirely a word of praise, similar to the letter to the church at Smyrna, but very dissimilar to the messages to the churches of Sardis and Laodicea.
The city of Philadelphia had been founded by the citizens of Pergamum in a prime area as a main route to the central plateau of Asia Minor. Rome’s imperial postal route also went through Philadelphia, earning the city the name “Gateway to the East.”
An earthquake of A.D. 17 that had destroyed Sardis had also been particularly devastating to Philadelphia because the city was near a fault line, and it had suffered many aftershocks. This kept the people worried, causing most of them to live outside of the city limits.
Transition:
The church of Philadelphia was a small church in a difficult area with no prestige and no wealth, and likely discouraged because it hadn’t grown—do we know of any churches today like this? Thus, this congregation could use exactly what Jesus says here starting in verse 7
I. The Proficiency of Christ (vv.7-8a)
I. The Proficiency of Christ (vv.7-8a)
He begins, just as with the other letters, describing Himself to the church in Philadelphia as the one who is holy and true.
“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.
“The words of the holy one, the true one”
This title should sound familiar, because you find this title for YHWH once again confirming over and over that Jesus is GOD.
Verse 7 is a series of four descriptive clauses describing Jesus with titles for YHWH. “Holy” was used 30 times in Isaiah to describe YHWH. John uses the term “righteous” a bit later in this book. “True” was often used of YHWH. The term “true” in Greek meant “true as over against false,” but in Hebrew it meant “faithful or trustworthy.” Jesus is surely both.
And it is used again in this Book as the dead saints speak to the Father! [[Rev. 6:10]]
They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
The more you read closely in Revelation, the clearer it is that Jesus is God!
“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.
“who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens”
What an odd phrase to use! What does this mean? Open what? shut what?
For Christ to hold the key of David really means that he has the authority to open the door to his future Kingdom. This alludes to the royal Davidic Messiah prophesied of in 2 Sam. 7, but particularly we know this is true because this here is words from an event recorded in Isaiah 22:15–25 when the official position of secretary of state in Judah was taken from Shebna and given to Eliakim. Isaiah 22:20-25
20 In that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, 21 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. 22 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. 23 And I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his father’s house. 24 And they will hang on him the whole honor of his father’s house, the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups to all the flagons. 25 In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, the peg that was fastened in a secure place will give way, and it will be cut down and fall, and the load that was on it will be cut off, for the Lord has spoken.”
God through Isaiah said to Eliakim: “I will give him the key to the house of David—the highest position in the royal court. He will open doors, and no one will be able to shut them; he will close doors, and no one will be able to open them”. For believers who have been expelled from the local synagogue for believing Jesus as the Messiah, the knowledge that Christ alone holds the power to grant entrance into God’s kingdom is deeply reassuring.
Christ holds absolute power and authority over entrance into his future Kingdom. After the door is opened, no one can shut it—salvation is assured. Once it is shut, no one can open it—judgment is certain.
“ ‘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.
Here we are again with the doors
The phrase, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut, has a couple possible meanings. A popular interpretation is that the church had a perfect location for missionary activity—they had an open door that no one could shut--preaching opportunities to spread the Gospel further!
The meaning, however, more likely refers to the Jewish believers who had been excommunicated from the synagogue for their faith in Christ. While the door to the synagogue may have been closed to them, Christ had opened the door to eternal life. No one could keep them out if they trusted in Christ. This makes better sense considering the context.
The immediate context suggests even more so that it refers to entrance into God’s kingdom that Christ alone can provide (3:7). Jesus now assures the believers in Philadelphia that he has opened the door of the kingdom to them, and no one—not even the local synagogue rulers or the Roman emperor himself—will be able to keep them from entering. The context of verse 9 which we’ll see in a moment strengthens this interpretation.
Illustration:
William Mitchell Ramsay, a Christian archaeologist explains the reference to the door as arising from the geographical situation of the city of Philadelphia. He states,
The situation of the city fully explains this saying. Philadelphia lay at the upper extremity of a long valley, which opens back from the sea. After passing Philadelphia the road along this valley ascends to the Phrygian land and the great Central Plateau, the main mass of Asia Minor. This road was the one which led from the harbour of Smyrna to the north-eastern parts of Asia Minor and the East in general, the one rival to the great route connecting Ephesus with the East, and the greatest Asian trade-route of Mediaeval times… Philadelphia, therefore, was the keeper of the gateway to the plateau.
Transition:
But there’s a problem!
II. The Problem at Church (vv. 8b-9)
II. The Problem at Church (vv. 8b-9)
Christ had no words of rebuke for this small, seemingly insignificant church, yet He did critique them through His perspective:
“ ‘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.
“you have but little power”
This is the first of three reasons why Jesus opened such a wonderful door.
The church may have been small, perhaps not too different from Grace, and may have had little impact upon the city, but it had obeyed and had not denied God. Their faith could have been little as well, but they had great faithfulness in a difficult area.
God’s strength shines brightly through our weakness
Illustration:
Going back to the introduction here for a moment, who here has gone bungee jumping? Me neither! (same here, wife wont let me!). No, but we tend to focus on the courage of the person jumping (and for good reason—it takes courage), and we focus on the skill of the bungee jump employee and his keen sense of safety. The employee will coach you on what to do to be safe and also to enjoy the jump. The company will buy and use the strongest harnesses for the employees and jumpers and thoroughly train their employees. But the real strength rests ultimately in the cord holding up to the pressure and weight of the jumper. First, a jumper must be attached to the cord, then the cord’s strength is brightly displayed when the jumper is at his/her most weakest, vulnerable moment.
Are you attached to the cord? If so, God’s strength will show unmistakably through your weakness.
8 “ ‘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.
“and have kept My word”
They had “little faith,” but they used it well!
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.
Apparently there was significant conflict between the Christians and the Jews in Philadelphia. As in the letter to the church in Smyrna (2:9), Christ referred to those who called themselves Jews but who were really liars and those who belong to Satan. These people, descended from Abraham and Jews by birth, vehemently opposed and persecuted the Christians for their belief that Jesus was the Messiah. Because of their opposition, Christ considered them as belonging to Satan. True Jews (God’s people) have accepted Jesus as Messiah and Savior (see Romans 2:28–29; Galatians 3:29; 6:16). These Jews who had rejected the Messiah truly belonged to Satan, not to God. They had shut the Christians out of their synagogues, but Christ says that he will force these people to come and bow down at the feet of his faithful people. Then they will acknowledge that the Christians are indeed the ones whom Christ loves. At Christ’s return, true believers will be vindicated.
“I will make them come and bow down at your feet”
This is an ironic allusion to Isa. 45:14; 49:23; 60:14, which initially spoke of the Gentiles coming into the Jewish nation,
14 The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending low to you, and all who despised you shall bow down at your feet; they shall call you the City of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
but because these so-called Jews rejected the Messiah they would come to bow to these Gentile believers to show God’s love to them (cf. Isa. 43:4, 9).
John uses a passage that originally shows the Gentiles coming to a restored Jerusalem to worship YHWH, but in the new age of righteousness, this geo-political image is expanded to include a believing world (Jew and Gentile) having unbelieving Jews come and bow down!
Transition:
Even with Jews up to today rejecting Christ, the Messiah rewards those who keep His word with full restoration to His image
III. The Power of Restoration (vv.10-11)
III. The Power of Restoration (vv.10-11)
Jesus turns back attention to the blessings He gives to His chosen people
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.
Christ promises to protect them from some hour of trial that is worldwide to test those who are still living. Some believe that this protection from “the great time of testing” means there will be a future time of great tribulation from which true believers will be spared. This is a key verse for the pre-Tribulation-Rapture theory—that believers will be kept from this time of testing because they will not be on the earth then, having been taken to heaven in what is called the “Rapture” (based on 1 Corinthians 15:51–53; 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17). Others believe that the verse refers to times of great distress in general, the church’s suffering through the ages. Still others interpret the protection to mean that the church will go through the time of tribulation and that God will keep them strong during it, providing spiritual protection from the forces of evil (7:3). The verb “keep” here or “protect” is the same Greek verb in the Lord’s prayer (“Keep/Deliver us from the evil one,” Matthew 6:13). As Jesus said before his death, “I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one” (John 17:15).
This “hour of trial” is also described as the Great Tribulation or Day of the Lord, mentioned also in Daniel 12:2; Mark 13:19; and 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12. All the judgments recorded in the remainder of the book of Revelation take place during this time of tribulation. While believers may have to face difficulty and suffering, they will certainly be protected from God’s wrath and judgment.
I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.
For the churches in Ephesus (2:5), Pergamum (2:16), and Sardis (3:3), Christ’s coming would be a time for them to fear if they did not repent, for he would come as their judge. To the church in Philadelphia, however, Christ’s words I am coming quickly would not be threatening. Rather, they would be a warm promise to the believers of his imminent return. The word “soon” should be taken as “without warning”. In the meantime, they should hold on to what they have, referring to obedience and refusal to deny Christ (3:8). Their reward would be a crown—referring to the wreath awarded to winners of athletic contests. Philadelphia was known for its games and festivals, so the picture of the eternal crown awaiting believers was especially meaningful.
Transition:
Though small and struggling, the church in Philadelphia had stayed true to Christ, and he told them simply to hold on to what they had.
So What? (vv.12-13)
So What? (vv.12-13)
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.
“I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God”
The word “pillars” symbolizes permanence and stability. Philadelphia was constantly threatened by earthquakes. Often experiencing tremors, the people would evacuate the city and stay in temporary dwellings in the rural areas. Sometimes the pillars would be the only part of a building left standing after an earthquake.
Prominent citizens’ names were inscribed on the pillars of the temples in Philadelphia. The term “temple” here is a term (naos) from the verb “to dwell” and was used of the place where deity’s very presence dwelt. The overcoming believers will never have to leave God’s presence (cf. Ps. 23:6; 27:4–6).
The Messiah continues with three further promises.
Notice the five-fold repetitions of “My” in v. 12. This is a wonderful acknowledgment of intimacy with God. The name symbolized ownership.
12 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.
“I will write on him the name of My God”
This should sound familiar if you recall the end of Pergamum’s letter with the white stone
Here though, He will write God’s name on them, they will be citizens in the new Jerusalem, and they will have Christ’s new name inscribed upon them. This “new name” of Christ has not been revealed, but those who conquer, are victorious, and persevere will have this new name inscribed upon them.
This threefold promise pictures believers belonging to God, having citizenship in heaven, and having a special relationship with Christ.
12 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.
“the new Jerusalem … new name”
The new Jerusalem is the future dwelling of the people of God (21:2). They will be citizens in God’s future Kingdom. Everything will be new, pure, and secure.
Revelation picks up on the prophecies of Isaiah: (1) new things, 42:9; 43:19; 48:6 (Rev. 21:5); (2) new song, 42:10 (Rev. 5:9; 14:3); (3) new name, 62:2 (Rev. 2:17); 3:12; (4) new heaven and new earth, 65:17; 66:22 (Rev. 21:1).
The new heavenly city, Jerusalem, is also prophesied in Isaiah: 40:2, 9; 41:27; 44:20, 28; 52:1, 2, 9; 62:1, 6, 7; 65:18, 19; 66:10, 13, 20 (Rev. 21:2, 10). It is the metaphor for the presence of God among His people. The OT prophecies have been universalized. New Jerusalem is not a city in Palestine, but a promise of a new age of righteousness.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Conclusion:
There are many points of application in this message for the contemporary church, but perhaps the biggest ones to end with are these two:
1. Success in our faith journey as a congregation is determined not by our power or prestige in the eyes of the world, but by our willingness to persevere in simple obedience to Jesus.
We here at Grace can easily identify with being small, weak, and powerless in this community —especially when comparing ourselves to our past, BUT JESUS KNOWS! And we continue to obey His Word! And Jesus, not the world or even its religious leaders, determines who gets into the kingdom. Jesus’s words to the apostle Paul come to mind: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).
We, being true Christians will be marginalized at best from society. These ancient believers, like us here today, were not excluding others or withdrawing from public witness, but were being excluded “against their will on account of their witness.”
2. The greatest reward is the promise of God’s presence forever!
There are certain rules of logic that help us think more clearly and perceive truth more readily. One such rule is the transitive law. Simply put, it states: If a = b and b = c, then a = c. For example: If John weighs the same as Jim and Jim the same as Mark, then John weighs the same as Mark. It is a silly example, but when the underlying principle is applied, it can lead to profound insight.
When we consider, “What is the greatest reward God could give us?” a little logic can help. If the greatest gift humans can receive is an experience of a perfect love, and if God himself is the origin and apex of love, then the greatest gift God could give us is Himself.