Bible Study Library

Dear Disciples:

In this letter, Jesus gives hope to the faithful church at Philadelphia. They will be rewarded for withstanding their current persecution. Some day the entire church will experience an even greater period of tribulation - worse than anything it will have experienced before - and Jesus will preserve it through that time, too.

We recognize Philadelphia, PA as the “city of brotherly love.” That’s because word “Philadelphia” comes from tow Greek words, phileo (love) and adelphos (brother). The first century city of Philadelphia was established about 150 years before Christ by a king who was famous for deeply loving his own brother (King Attalus II). It was named in his honor.

You might also come across the alternate name “Neocaesarea” for this city. In A.D. 17 a devastating earthquake came through the area that wiped out Philadelphia, Sardis, and 10 other cities. Tiberius, a new Caesar at the time, rebuilt Philadelphia. In honor of him, the city was renamed Neocaesarea (”New Caesar”), but people often still referred to it by its original name.

Philadelphia was an important city for Roman government and Roman culture principally because of two highways that ran through it. One was a major east-west trade road that ran from the coast at Smyrna all the way into eastern Asia. The other was an imperial post road that passed through Philadelphia going east. The city had a prosperous economy based on the production of grapes, textiles, and leather.

<…Yawn…stretch…>

OK, do you want to know something really cool about the church at Philadelphia? This church that Jesus didn’t criticize remained faithful for 1300 years after this letter was written! The surrounding area eventually became Turkey and succumbed to Muslim control. But Philadelphia was the last holdout. The church there remained strong and true until the city was finally conquered in A.D. 1392. Now that’s tenacity!

The church Jesus wrote to faced conflict with some Jews. Those Jews were trying to “shut the door” on this church (3:8-9), trying to convince them that they were excluded from the kingdom - as if they had authority to do that!

Jesus reassured the church that He alone holds the keys to the kingdom, not them. He opened the door for them, and no one can shut it (3:7-8). As far as those Jews go, they aren’t even in God’s kingdom - they are part of Satan’s kingdom (3:9)! And just as Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44), so they are liars too.

True Jews are members of the body of Christ. If they reject the Messiah, they disqualify themselves from true spiritual Judaism and surrender their status as the people of God.

[We'll soon study that topic separately in an upcoming class]

So, these Christians are in the kingdom and no one can take that away from them. “What’s more,” said Jesus, “some day those same ‘Jews’ will be forced to acknowledge that what they forfeited belongs to the church.” (Compare Isaiah 49:23 and Isaiah 60:14 if you have a few moments).

Side note on “Keys To The kingdom: In Isaiah 22, Eliakim - the chief representative of the King of Israel - was given the key to the king’s household. He was given full authority to allow people to enter or prevent people from entering. The “key of David” is the key to David’s house, the messianic kingdom.In saying He has the key to the kingdom of David, Jesus is saying that He has the exclusive authority to decide who enters and who is excluded.

 

 

These struggles with the Jews-who-aren’t-Jews took its toll on the church. The church was worn down and had “little strength” left (3:8). But even in their tiredness, they refused to do the easy thing - give up and deny His name. Because the church showed perseverance during the present hour of trial, Jesus promised to keep them from having to endure the future hour of trial that will come upon the whole world (3:10).

Warning: Our study will get a little heady at this point, so bear with me. What follows is important as we venture into the rest of Revelation.

Rev. 3:10 is the first reference to the “Great Tribulation” period. The prophet Daniel referred to this many years before. He wrote that during the time of the Antichrist “there will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people–everyone whose name is found written in the book–will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12:1-2). Jesus also referred to this period of time in Matthew 24:21.

One question that sincere Christians differ on in their understanding of Revelation is whether the church will be on earth during the Great Tribulation. Let’s look at that briefly here. We’ll study it out more in later chapters.

In chapter 13 and following we learn that two things happen during the Tribulation period:

• The Antichrist persecutes and makes war against the church
• God pours out judgments against the rebellious and apostate world

For convenience, the first can be called the “Great Tribulation” and the second can be called “the hour of trial.”

So when Jesus tells the church at Philadelphia “I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth” (3:11), He is saying that they will be preserved from having to endure God’s judgments on the heathen world.

The church will still have to endure the persecution of the Antichrist. But Jesus promised in Luke 21:12-20 that even though Christians will go through it, they shouldn’t be afraid because they would not be harmed:

“But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life. When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written.”

Look at the great hope Jesus gives us! Yes, we’ll be there, we’ll be persecuted, and we might even be killed. But so what? Jesus will exercise His power through us against His enemies.

Is being killed really such a bad thing? “Not even one hair of our heads will perish,” He said. We’ll have eternal life. Rev 15:2 says this more clearly: Those who are martyred by Antichrist are called “those who had been victorious over the beast.” They gain victory over him by dying - just as Jesus did!

At this point in our study, then, it’s enough for us to understand that Jesus promises that the church will be kept from God’s judgment during the hour of trial. Although the church will be on the earth during the final days and will suffer a record-breaking amount of persecution and martyrdom, God will preserve it. Meanwhile, God’s wrath will be poured out against the kingdom of the Antichrist, not the kingdom of God

The Christian one who overcomes will be made into a pillar in the temple of God - a temple that God will never leave again (3:12). Rev. 21:22 tells us that the temple will be God Himself!

Jesus will write three names on the pillar:

• The name of Jesus’ God
• The name of the city of Jesus’ God - the new Jerusalem
• Jesus’ new name

All of these themes are described in greater detail later in Revelation, and we’ll look more into them then.