25 miles SE of Sardis was Philadelphia. Most people know the name means “brotherly love” and it was so named because of two brothers, Attalus II and Eumenes VI. The city was along a great trade route, which also served as an imperial postal route. The city was founded to consolidate, regulate, and educate (Thomas), and it maintained what we might call a built-in missionary aspect. They really sought to reach out, which fostered unity of spirit, customs, and loyalty.
Philadelphia was located near an active volcano, and earthquakes were frequent. In A.D. 17, Philadelphia, along with Sardis, was destroyed. The city was re-built with the help of Rome, and renamed to reflect the emperor who helped. Renamed again after another emperor, eventually Philadelphia and Rome had a falling away from each other, and the city once again took on its original name.
The church here was greatly commended. They were faithful in the midst of the “synagogue of Satan”, Jews who met to plot against the Christians regularly. To this church, Christ calls Himself holy, true, having the key of David offering an open door.
Holy - causing obedience to his word.
True - Christ is genuine.
Key of David - Christ controls the entrance to David’s house
Open door - there is a sure entrance to the messianic kingdom
This church had kept God’s Word. And now they were of little power, they basically were small in number, being fewer and fewer. It would appear that Jews and others had called on them to deny the name of Christ, and each time they had responded with obedience to Christ.
In the OT, it was expected that outsiders would honor, or pay homage to Israel, out of respect to God. Here, they are told it will now be just the opposite. One day, the Jews would pay homage to the church. Looking at the big picture, the future repentance of Israel will result in the respectful treatment of the church.
Believers here are promised deliverance from a predicted time of future suffering on the earth. Using the phrase “hour of trial” puts the focus on an actual time period, not just the trial itself. The time known as the Tribulation is what comes into play. The language implies the whole world, “to test all”. Essentially, there are two ways to understand this promise to the church:
Preservation while present during this period
Preservation by removal from the scene of suffering.
No. 1 above provides no encouragement for believers. No. 2 fits the context the best.
How would this commended church be encouraged by knowing that they, along with unbelievers, would have to endure the same horrific time? Christ tells them He will come “soon”; Previously, through Paul, we see Him meeting believers and those dead in Christ in the air (1 Thess. 4). This would have been an effective motivation to continue the tenacity of their belief. From this, compared along with other Scripture, we hold to the Rapture of the church prior to the Tribulation.
The church is then told their crowns are secure. Their entrance into the messianic kingdom to live and rule with Christ is a done deal.
Therefore they are to hold fast (sound familiar?), and they are called a pillar in the temple of God. The pillars were an intimate, important part of a temple, just as the church is an intimate and important part of the Kingdom. That their names are written on the pillar indicates they have a right to citizenship in that new Jerusalem. That should have been (and apparently it was) a strong motivation to hold fast.
SO WHAT...?
So, does knowing Christ to be genuine and holy cause me to be obedient to His Word? Can I put Him first in everything? To both questions, I answer, “I should.”
So, then I have a job to do, namely get the word out that He is coming soon. Encouraging words for perilous times, even for us here and now. Even if “things” get worse, I can know my crown is secure, and there are others who need to hear about Christ.
So, my citizenship is in heaven. My life here should reflect my citizenship.
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