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THE THRONE
Come, Let Us Worship Him!
Revelation 4:1-11

Philippe R. Sterling

The Scriptures exhort us to worship God. Psalm 100 is one such passage.

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
3 Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving,
And His courtyards with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting
And His faithfulness is to all generations.

Worship matters. Worship matters to God. Worship is celebrating who God is and what He has done. Our passage in the Book of Revelation today focuses on worship.

The Lord Jesus receives the title-deed to judge and reclaim the earth (Revelation 4:1–5:14).

John introduces the third major section of the book with the same words used in the temporal outline in 1:19, “After these things.” We are now about to see “the things which will take place.” What things? The things after the Church Age! The things after the removal of the Church from the earth! This will include the tribulation period, the return of Christ to the earth, the millennium, and the new heaven and new earth.

Chapters four and five form a prologue to the entire section. John is given a glimpse of the throne in heaven before he is shown the terrible judgments that will be poured out on the earth.

The Eternal Father sits on the throne in heaven and receives the adoration of the four living creatures and the enthroned elders (4:1-11).

One of the popular shows on Netflix is The Crown. Though we live in a constitutional republic we are still fascinated with monarchy. God the Father rules over all creation and sits on a divine throne. Revelation chapter four ushers us into the throne room of God.

Summoned to the Throne: John saw a door open in heaven and heard the words “Come up here” (4:1).

John sees an open door in heaven. This is a special door opened to admit John to heaven. The voice of the one that had first spoken to him in chapter one, likely Christ, invites him to “Come up here.” The One speaking with John tells him that He will show him what must take place “after these things.”

The invitation to John is similar to that which the Church anticipates at the rapture. The word “rapture” in English is a transliteration of the old Latin word “rapturo,” which means to “snatch away” or “catch up.” The equivalent Greek word is “harpazo.” This comes from the biblical description of the event in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

Someday, Jesus will come for the Church and say “Come up here.” At the beginning of chapter 4 the Church is in heaven. This is how Jesus intends to fulfill His promise to the church in 3:10. Jesus in the Upper Room in John 14:3 just before His death and resurrection told the disciples that He would leave and “go prepare a place for you.” He then promised to return “to receive you to myself that where I am, there you may be also.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 paints a picture of the rapture for us. Paul did not want the church at Thessalonica to be uninformed. Jesus will come with “a shout.” It will be a shout of welcome as He comes to gather us to Himself. He will come with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God. These three sounds will tell believers, both dead and living, that the day of their complete redemption is at hand. According to 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, at the sound of the trumpet we will all be changed; in the twinkling of an eye, we will put on immortality. Our present bodies will be changed into a glorious body.

The Person on the Throne: John saw a throne and One sitting on the throne (4:2-3).

John is taken through the door and arrives in heaven “in the spirit.” He is in a spiritual state in connection with receiving the visions. He had returned to his normal senses after the first vision ended in 3:22 and now returns to the same state in which he had been so as to receive a second vision.

John first sees the throne standing in heaven and then the One sitting on the throne. Revelation is a throne book. The word is used forty-six times in the book and fourteen times in this chapter. Verse 8 identifies the One sitting on the throne as God. The word for sitting is a present participle indicating continuing occupancy. This is the throne of God the Father, since the Son approaches the throne in Revelation 5:6, and The Spirit is before the throne in Revelation 4:5. God is on His throne and in complete control (see Isa 14:24-27). See Exodus 24:9-11; Daniel 7:9-10; Isaiah 6:1-5; Ezekiel 1:26-28; Acts 7:55-56 for other throne descriptions.

John describes the One sitting on the throne in terms of two precious stones: the jasper and sardius. Rev 21:11 explains the jasper as clear as crystal, that is, the color of light, perhaps like a diamond radiating brilliant light. God is robed in light according to Psalm 104:2 and 1 Timothy 6:16. The sardius was blood red and named for the city of Sardis where it was found.

Around the throne was a rainbow the light green color of an emerald. The rainbow reminds us of God’s covenant with Noah, symbolic of His promise that He would never again destroy the earth with a flood. Judgment is about to fall, but the rainbow reminds us that God is merciful and gracious, even when He judges (see Gen. 9:11-17). Unlike the sights of rainbows on earth of which we see only a part, this heavenly rainbow completely encircles the throne of God. Usually a rainbow appears after the storm; but here, we see it before the storm.

The Persons around the Throne: John saw 24 elders sitting on thrones clothed in white garments with golden crowns on their heads (4:4).

Around the throne were 24 elders upon 24 thrones. The rainbow was around the throne vertically, while the elders were around the throne horizontally. They are the King’s court.

These 24 are representative of the church overcomers. This is supported by the parallel of the OT where the priesthood of Israel was represented by 24 orders of priests since the thousands of priests could not all minister at the same time (see 1 Chronicles 23:3-4; 24:4-5). Each order was represented by one priest serving at one time (Luke 2:5-9). The white garments represent their righteousness in Christ or perhaps their righteous acts (see 19:8).

The crowns are their reward for service while on earth (see 3:11) – the crown of life for those who faithfully endure trial and temptation (James 1:12), the incorruptible crown for those who discipline their lives (1 Corinthians 9:25), the crown of rejoicing for those who lead people to Christ (1 Thessalonians 2:19), the crown of righteousness for those who live in anticipation of the coming of Christ (2 Timothy 4:8), and the crown of glory for those who faithfully care for God’s people (1 Peter 5:4).

A crown represents the reality of authority and rule. The faithful of the Church will be on thrones with crowns ruling and reigning with Christ (see 3:21). The crowns will be given as rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ (see Matthew 16:27; Romans 14:10-12; 1 Corinthians 3:8-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 22:12). The 24 elders join the four living creatures in worshipping God (see Isaiah 6:1-3; Ezekiel 1:4-28; 10:1-22). They fall down before the One on the throne, casting down their crowns before the throne.

The Praise to the Throne: Four living creatures and the twenty four elders worship Him who sits on the throne (4:5-11).

From the throne came flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. These are portents of judgments and come again in 8:5; 11:19 and 16:18. They are storm signals.

Before the throne were seven torches of fire. They are the seven spirits of God or the fullness of the Holy Spirit (as in 1:4; 3:1; 5:6). The torches emitted a blazing fire rather than a soft one. Fire in this book symbolizes judgment. Here is the divine preparedness for God’s wrath against sinful humanity.

Also before the throne was a sea of glasslike crystal. A pure crystal sea symbolizes God’s purity and holiness. The crystal “firmament” in Ezekiel’s vision also comes to mind (Ezek. 1:22). It was the foundation for God’s throne. It pictures the splendor and majesty of God on His throne that set Him apart from all creation, a separation stemming from His purity and holiness, which He shares with no one else.

In the center and around the throne were four living creatures. They resemble the cherubim that Ezekiel saw (see Ezekiel 10), but their praise reminds us of the Seraphim of Isaiah 6. Each one is different in appearance. The four likenesses represent each part of the animal creation. They encircle the throne, one on either side, one behind and one in front. In the context of Revelation, one of their functions is the administration of divine justice in the realm of animate creation (see 6:1, 3, 5, 7; 15:7).

Some interpreters see in the four faces described the picture of Christ given in the four Gospels. Matthew is the royal Gospel of the King, illustrated by the lion. Mark emphasizes the servant aspect of the Lord’s ministry, the calf. Luke present Christ as the Son of Man. John magnifies the deity of Christ, the Son of God; the eagle.

These living creatures signify the wisdom and omniscience of God – “full of eyes.” God has created them with such penetrative intelligence that they are fully aware of happenings pertaining to their judicial responsibility.

They ceaselessly praise God. They ascribe to God holiness, all power, eternality. They give Him glory and honor. They also offer thanks to God. Whenever the living creatures glorified God, the elders would fall before the throne and praise Him.

The elders seated on their thrones rise and fall on their faces before God and worship Him. As a further act of homage they cast their crowns before God and praise Him in the words of verse 11. They address the One on the throne as the Lord and “our God.” They ascribe to Him glory, honor and power. They attribute to Him the creation of all things in accordance with His will.

The scene is one of the redeemed joining with the cherubim in magnifying the worth of the Creator-God. The Book of Revelation is filled with hymns of praise (Rev. 4:8, 11; 5:9-13; 7:12-17; 11:15-18; 12:10-12; 15:3-4; 16:5-7; 18:2-8; 19:2-6). The One seated on the throne created all things and to Him all glory is due. However, because God’s will and glory mean nothing to rebellious humanity, divine wrath must fall.

With the song of the 24 elders this initial scene in the throne room closes. John’s invitation to heaven, the heavenly throne, and activities around the throne make a deep impression. Here is the headquarters of the holy, omnipotent, and eternal God who requires His standards to be met by His creation. If they are not, His wrath must inflict penalties upon the rebellious.

Conclusion

Worship is perhaps one of the greatest endeavors in our churches and individual lives. We tend to emphasize witness for Christ and working for Christ, and perhaps there is not enough emphasis on worshipping Him. To worship means “to ascribe worth.” It means that we praise God with all of our being for all that He is and does.

One of the hymnals that I have is entitled The Worshiping Church. The first hymn is “Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty.” Some of the words are drawn from our passage.

Holy Holy Holy

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy, all the saints adore Thee
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee
Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be

Holy, holy, holy, though the darkness hide Thee
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see
Only Thou art holy, there is none beside Thee
Perfect in power, in love, and purity!

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Come, let us worship Him!

The Lord Jesus judges the church at Laodicea that is materialistic (3:14-22).

SOMEONE’S KNOCKING AT THE DOOR
Learning from the Church at Laodicea

Philippe R. Sterling

One of the games I loved to play as an adolescent was Monopoly. According to my sisters I was ruthless in the acquisition of property and play money. In the context of the game, I was rich. Once the game was over, it didn’t matter. What would happen if I went to the store and said, “Give me an I-Phone; here’s $1000,” and hand the clerk the play money? It won’t work.

A similar thing is true of our earthly lives. In a way, we’re playing a game here. Some people get a lot of money. For the moment, they’re the winners. They can buy a lot of things that are in the long run, worthless. It may be a Maserati. But step out of this world, and that car doesn’t mean a thing. All that wealth is just play money when you look at it from God’s eternal perspective.

For the winner of Monopoly to think, “I’m rich!” because he has a handful of play money would be foolish. It’s just as foolish for a billionaire to think a portfolio of expensive real estate and blue-chip investments makes him rich in God’s eyes. Today we’re going to meet a church that made that mistake.

Destination: To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

The seventh church of Revelation was at Laodicea. This city was forty-five miles southeast of Philadelphia. It lay along an important trade route stretching from Ephesus through the inland area off what is now Turkey. It was located in a valley along with two sister cities, Colosse and Hierapolis.

Laodicea was founded by Antiochus II and named for his wife, Laodice. The Romans took control of the city in 129 BC. It became a large and prosperous city.

There were three major industries in Laodicea. First, banking. It was an extremely wealthy city. After an earthquake in A.D. 17 devastated the area, the Roman Empire pitched in financially to help many of the cities. But Laodicea refused this aid and chose to rebuild itself. Second, eye care. There was an ointment produced in Laodicea that was famous for curing eye ailments. Third, textiles. The city produced a special wool that was popular throughout the empire.

Laodicea was a popular place for wealthy people to retire. The wealth of the city caused her to be proud and self-sufficient. Unfortunately, the material prosperity of the citizens produced a materialistic church.

One other thing you should know about this city: for all their wealth, they had a frustrating water problem. They had no water source nearby. They had to pipe in their water from a spring six miles south. We’re not sure whether this was a cold spring or a hot spring. But it didn’t matter, because as it traveled the six-mile aqueduct, it cooled or heated to a lukewarm temperature.

Portrayal of Jesus: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the Creation of God, says this:

Jesus calls Himself the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the Beginning (Origin or Source) of God’s creation. The solemnity of the titles prepares the way for the searching and severe criticism that follows. Amen is a Hebrew word for “Yes,” “That’s right,” or “So be it.” It’s something you say to God to indicate that you’re willing to go along with what He says. Jesus is trustworthy. What He promises, He will do. What He threatens, He will carry out. Jesus is Origin and Source of all that there is. Everything and everyone answers to Him.

Praise for the Church: I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

Jesus knows the deeds of His people. There are no words of commendation for the church at Laodicea.

Criticism of the Church: You are lukewarm . . . rich but poor . . . blind and naked.

Jesus calls them lukewarm. Both cold and hot water were useful; lukewarm water was not. Because they were so wishy-washy, they were useless to the Lord, and distasteful.

What was the church’s attitude? The believers were confident, secure, and complacent.

What was their real situation? They were needy, desperate.

How would they react to the way Christ described them – wretched, pitiful, and poor?

They had the finest eye medicines. How could He call them blind? They produced beautiful clothing? How could they be naked? All their material wealth was insignificant in light of their spiritual needs.

Why did they not realize how needy they were? Their material wealth could blind them to their spiritual needs.

Exhortation: Acquire true riches.

What does Jesus want them to do? Come to Him for help. In language these commercially prosperous believers could understand, the Lord urges them to buy gold from Him that they might become rich, put on white garments that they might clothe themselves, and anoint their eyes with eye salve that they might see.

“Buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich” — rich in the age to come. There is gold in the age to come. You can buy it by your faithfulness now in this age. You may ask, “What do I want gold for?” Well, you will have gold in your mansion. You will have gold in your clothing. You will have gold in your crown. There will be gold in the many facets of your life. You will want that gold.

“Buy bright garments from me.” Here he says it again, this is the second time. In Rev 3:5 He mentioned the white garments, and now mentions them again. Instead of “white” put the word “bright”, bright shining garments. There are many facets of the garments. Not just one layer, many layers. There are many different types of garments in the age to come. And why do you want those garments? You need to be clothed so that in the life to come the shame of your nakedness — the shame of your faithfulness to the Lord being incomplete — will not be seen. I do not want to be lacking the garments which indicate my dedication to the Lord in this age.

Every believer has the robe of Christ’s righteousness as a free gift, but I also want garments which depict my love for Jesus in this age. He said that to lack those garments would be shameful in the age to come. It is great that we are grounded in the free gift of eternal life to all who believe. But let us not get so locked into what we get free in the city, that we lose sight of the value of what we do after we are born again.

“Buy eye salve to anoint your eyes that you may see.” The believers desperately needed to get into the Word of God and ask God’s Spirit to help them understand it. If they did that God would remove their spiritual blindness and help them to see (cf. 2 Pet 1:9). Spiritual awareness will continue to grow in the age to come.

Penalty or Reward: Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, therefore be zealous and repent. Open the door to fellowship.

The Lord said, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent” (verse 19). Jesus still loved this church and was concerned about its future. There was hope if they would repent.

Jesus reproves and disciplines those He loves. How does He discipline us? Often He reproves us through His messengers, our ministers and teachers. Obviously, this letter to Laodicea is a reproof. He disciplines us often by allowing us to reap the fruit of our sinful deeds. Sin leads to ruin. Sometimes we have to experience that to learn it.

Why does Jesus discipline us? He wants us to have fellowship with Him and live life fully.

What do the believers need to do? Be zealous and repent. The Lord is saying, “Get excited about Me! No more of this wishy-washy stuff!”

What kind of a relationship does Christ want to have with us? He wants to be welcomed in our lives, to be a friend to us, like someone we’d invite for dinner.

The Lord of the church is pictured in verse 20 as standing at the door of the church, knocking and seeking entrance. This is not an evangelistic appeal to the unsaved. Here is the Lord of the church pleading with this particular church not to close the door of the church to Him.

Whenever we refuse to let Jesus take His rightful place as Lord of the church, we, too, in essence close the church door in His face, leaving Him on the outside. The gracious invitation is extended, however, that if one opens the door, Christ will come in and fellowship (sup or dine) with the one who permits Him to enter.

Someone's knockin' at the door
Somebody ringin' the bell
Someone's knockin' at the door
Somebody's ringin' the bell
Do me a favor
Open the door, let 'em in, yeah, let 'em in

Sister Suzy, Brother John
Martin Luther, Phil and Don
Brother Michael, Antie Gin
Open the door, let 'em in, oh yeah

LET ‘EM IN – Paul McCartney

Jesus is saying to us, “Let me be in your life! I want to be a part of what you do each day.” Is He saying that to you right now?

Now we can dine with the Lord in this age though worship and prayer. We dine with Him in that limited sense, which is awesome. It is glorious in this age, but compared to where it is going it is only a token in this age. So we dine with Him now figuratively, but in the age to come we are literally going to eat meals in the presence of Jesus and talk to Him. I mean face to face.

That is actually real because Jesus is now forever a man in a glorified human body. He is omnipresent in the spirit and He will be spiritually present no matter where we are in the city, but we will actually be able to see Him in His physical body. He will be in one place at one time, like He was in His earthly ministry. He will not be walking with you in the park and walking with me in the park at the same moment in the body. He will only be walking with one of us in the park, at that moment. There are going to be several billion people who want to talk to Jesus. Think of the 12, the 70, and the 120; well, make it several billion in the resurrection. Jesus will have a human body, really sitting on a throne and we will be called to talk to Him. He will summon us to His throne. We will dine with Him.

What are some of the great obstacles to fellowship with Christ and spiritual growth today?

Money ranks high on the list. We love it. We worship it. We change our lives to get more of it. We can be in its power. Of all the gods of our age – Sex, Mammon, Fame – Mammon worms its way most deeply into our lives and loves.

Wealth is not evil, but it is dangerous. People tend to trust their “stuff” more than God.

Answer these questions as honestly as you can. They are designed to challenge you, perhaps to change you.

Which do you spend more time doing? Worrying about money or reading the Bible. If someone offered you an amount equal to your yearly income to stay away from church for a year, would you do it? Would you consider it? If you won a million dollars, how would that change your life? How would it affect your spiritual life? If you lost a great deal of money and had to simplify your life drastically, how would that affect your spiritual life? If you got paid to read the Bible and pray, would you do more of it? If your income were cut by 25%, how would you cut your expenses? Would you be able to do that if you had to? Would you ever consider cutting your expenses so as to give more to the work of God?

The intent of these questions is not to make you feel guilty, nor to make you give more to the church. It is merely to help you gauge your relationship with God in comparison with your relationship with money. God will let you know how He wants you to use whatever wealth you have. Are you ready to heed Him?

Promise to Overcomers: Sit with Christ on the throne.

“To him who overcomes I will grant him to sit with Me on My throne.” That is incredible that we would sit with Jesus on His throne.

Now not everybody will sit on the throne. Among the many believers of the ages, only overcomers will be granted that honor. Not everyone will have a crown and throne.

Every believer will have the righteousness of Christ. We will all have a glorified body. We will all be citizens of the kingdom but after that — I am sure there are a few other things which we will all have in common — but after that, for most of the things which we have, there will be great differences in the measure of the glory and of our capacity and how we interact with the Lord.

Our relationship with the Lord will be different for everyone. There are those who will have a physical proximity to the King of kings, Jesus of Nazareth, fully God, fully man. They will have access to His immediate physical presence in a way that others will not. It will not be based on how famous you were on the earth or how big your ministry was. It will be based on your faithfulness and love for Him.

The overcomer rewards involve the location and design of our dwelling place, our garments, the food we enjoy, the intimacy we experience with Christ, the position, status and authority we have, the name or title given to us, the jewels and crowns we wear. We must not think that these privileges are solely for our benefit. We have been created to glorify God by loving and serving others. These privileges will enable overcomers to do just that. Thus everyone benefits and the Lord Himself will be pleased.

If the Lord wants you to have these privileges of a lifetime well spent, then it is a false spirituality that says, “Oh, I don’t want any special privileges.” You will, if you want for yourself what the Lord obviously desires for you. Gain your rewards. Be an overcomer. Live today in light of tomorrow.

General Admonition: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

WWJS to the materialistic church: “Let me in!” Jesus stands at the door and knocks. He calls, “Let Me in. I want to dine with you.

The messages to the seven churches of Asia constitute a comprehensive warning from Christ to every church. There is warning to the churches of today to “hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” The messages are amazingly relevant to the churches of today.

The church at Ephesus represents the danger of losing our first love (2:4), that fresh ardor and devotion to Christ which characterized the early church.

The church at Smyrna represents the fear of suffering and was exhorted, “Fear none of the things which you will suffer” (2:10). In a modern day when persecution of Christians has been revived, the church can heed the exhortation, “Don’t fear.”

The church at Pergamum illustrates the constant danger of doctrinal compromise (2:14-15). Would that the modern church which has forsaken so many fundamentals of biblical faith heed that warning!

The church at Thyatira is a monument to the danger of doctrinal compromise (2:20). The church today may well pay attention to the departure from moral standards which has invaded the church itself.

The church at Sardis is a warning against the danger of spiritual deadness (3:1-2), of spiritual sleep.

The church at Philadelphia commended by our Lord is still warned against the danger of not holding fast (3:11), and exhorted to maintain the “little strength” that they did have and to watch for the coming of the Lord.

The final message to the church at Laodicea is the crowning indictment, a warning against the danger of lukewarmness (3:15-16), of self-sufficiency, of being unconscious of desperate need.

The church is at the center of our Lord’s concern throughout the book of Revelation. He appears in chapter 1 as the glorious Lord of the church, walking among the seven lampstands. He expresses His love for the church by asking John to write the seven letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor (chapter 2-3). He takes the church to be with Him while He pours out His wrath on the unbelieving world (chapters 4-19). Finally, He returns with the church triumphantly at His side (19:11-16), defeats the satanic opposition, establishes His kingdom on earth, judges lost people of all ages, brings about a new heaven and a new earth with the church forever dwelling with Him in the New Jerusalem (chapters 19-22).

HERE COMES THE SON
Learning from the Church at Philadelphia

Philippe R. Sterling

Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles

Here comes the sun (doo-doo-doo)
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here

Here comes the sun (doo-doo-doo)
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes

Here comes the sun (doo-doo-doo)
Here comes the sun
It's all right
It's all right

Here Comes the Sun was written by George Harrison and was featured on the Beatles’ album Abbey Road in 1969. The lyrics reflect his relief at the arrival of spring and the temporary respite he was experiencing from the band's business affairs.

Jesus is coming soon. How should our lives change when we realize Jesus is coming soon? What effect does it have on my thoughts and actions when I realize that Jesus is coming soon?

Destination: And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

As the team from Jesus and John to the seven cities reached Philadelphia, their number had dwindled to two, the messengers to Philadelphia and Laodicea. Jesus’ words to this church are fully positive.

Philadelphia was founded at some point after 189 B.C. at the junction of the approaches to Mysia, Lydia, and Phrygia. It was called “the gateway to the East.” It also was called “little Athens” because of the many temples in the city. Its founder, Attalus II Philadelphus of Pergamum, from whom the city derived its name, intended it to be a center of missionary activity for the Hellenistic way of life.

Volcanic activity caused earthquakes from time to time. The devastating earthquake of AD 17 which leveled twelve cities of Asia Minor was severe in Philadelphia. The Emperor Tiberius rebuilt the city after the earthquake. In commemoration, the city changed its name to “New Caesar.” Later the name Philadelphia would reappear.

The church at Philadelphia was one of the strongest of the seven congregations. Outwardly, it was small. But inwardly, it was a dynamic and faithful church. The letter contains no censure and is full of commendation.

Portrayal of Jesus: 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:

Jesus describes Himself as Holy and true. The one who holds the key of David. What He opens stays open. What He closes stays closed.

“He who is holy”

Jesus is holy in His character, His words, His actions, and His purposes. Nothing can be compared to Him. “The Holy One” is a common title for the Messiah.

“He who is true”

Jesus is the original, not a copy. He is the authentic God.

“He who has the key of David”

The background of this imagery is Isaiah 22:15-25. Assyria had invaded Judah and the Jewish leaders were trusting Egypt, not God, to deliver the nation. One of the treacherous leaders was Shebna who was using his office not for the good of the people but for his own gain. God saw to it that Shebna was removed from office and that a faithful man, Eliakim, was put in his place and given the keys of authority. Eliakim is a picture of Jesus, the dependable administrator of the affairs of God’s people. Jesus also has the keys of hades and of death (1:18).

“He who opens . . . and who shuts”

Eliakim held the office of Key-holder in King David’s palace. His office gave him full authority to act on behalf of the king. If he unlocked a palace door, it remained locked. Just like Eliakim, Jesus is the ultimate key-holder. Jesus is the one who opens and closes doors.

Praise for the Church: I know your deeds . . .

“I know your deeds”

Jesus has a thorough knowledge of the situation in Philadelphia. Before He finishes His acknowledgement of their works, He prematurely injects words of encouragement. Perhaps as He thought of the sterling quality of their works, He takes the unique step of expressing His support.

“I have put before you an open door”

What is the “open door” all about? Ramsey explains the expression in terms of Philadelphia’s geographic position at the eastern end of the valley leading up onto the great central plain. As the “keeper of the gateway to the plateau” it had been given a unique opportunity to carry the gospel to the cities of Phrygia.

When the Soviet Union was founded, it created the Iron Curtain. The Iron Curtain fell. When the Communists took over in China, they created the Bamboo Curtain. In spite of crackdowns, believers have continued to multiply in China. The word of God is not bound (2 Tim. 2:9).

“Because you have a little power”

Philadelphia was relatively small compared to the other cities of Asia Minor. Its greatest distinction was that it was strategically located on the Roman road. Early Christians would have traveled through Philadelphia as they journeyed east and west from Jerusalem to Rome. As they went, they were able spread the gospel both to Europe and Asia. The local congregation had stood firm despite persecution from the local Jewish synagogue (verse 9). Despite this opposition, the church is promised an open door of evangelistic and missionary opportunity. The church at Philadelphia had only a “little strength” (verse 8), but our Lord promised to do great things through them.

It is not the size or strength of a church that determines its ministry, but faith in the call and command of the Lord. If Jesus gives an open door, then He sees to it that they are able to walk through it.

“And have kept My word, and have not denied My name”

This church not only believed the Word of God, but obeyed it. They were a small group of people and yet they stood boldly and publicly for Christ.

“I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan . . . come and bow down at your feet . . .”

Vindication: All false religionists who persecute the followers of Christ will one day bow before them and know that He loved them. Jesus expresses His love in special ways toward believers who obey Him and take a stand for Him.

“I will also keep you from the hour of testing”

Protection: The Lord sometimes protects a faithful church from tribulation in this age and will rapture the Church before the Tribulation.

The “hour of testing” could refer to a time of trouble that the entire Roman world would undergo in the reader’s lifetimes. Jesus assures obedient believers in Philadelphia that they would have His protection during this time of turmoil.

This could also be a reference to the time of Tribulation that John describes in Revelation 6–19. The immediate reference could be to the official Roman persecutions that would come, but the ultimate reference is to the Tribulation that will encompass the earth before Jesus returns to establish His kingdom. Revelation 3:10 could be a promise that the church will not go through the Tribulation, but will be taken to be with Christ before it begins (see 1 Thess. 4:13–5:11). The following statement “I am coming quickly” strengthens this view.

Criticism of the Church

There is no criticism of this church. We have seen all the characteristics that made this church so highly approved by the Lord.

Penalty or Reward

Rewards are cited earlier.

Exhortation

“I am coming quickly” (see 22:7, 12, 20).

The Lord’s coming for believers can come at any time. This provides an encouragement for faithfulness.

“Hold fast what you have” (see 2:25).

Jesus’ exhortation is a simple encouragement to hold fast what they have. He tells them they’re doing great and to keep up the good work!

We are to hold fast what we have so that no one will take our crown. Don’t forfeit your crown. Eternal life is a free gift and cannot be lost but the reward of ruling with Christ forever requires faithfulness to the end (cf. 2:10).

During the time when the world is being tested, faithful believers will be receiving their crowns instead of experiencing the tribulation. Judgment begins with us (the house of God), but when it moves to the world, we will be removed to heaven to receive our crowns. When it comes time for the world to be tested, it will be time for faithful believers to be crowned.

Promises to Overcomers

Most of this letter is composed of promises. Jesus promises several different eternal rewards for the believer who overcomes.

“Pillar in the temple of My God”

The believer who has been faithful to the end will become a pillar in the temple of His God. Since the Father and Son will be the temple in the New Jerusalem, this reward is probably an especially wonderful experience of nearness to God as well as a key position of support and prominence in God’s eternal kingdom. Second, the phrase “he will not go out from it anymore” refers to the permanence of these rewards. Once these positions of honor and authority are given to an overcomer, they shall never be rescinded. He is securely set as a “pillar” in Christ’s eternal kingdom and as such will never be separated from this special relationship to God.

The symbolism would be especially meaningful to people who lived in constant danger of earthquakes: the stability of the pillars, no need to go out or to flee, a heavenly city that nothing could destroy. Ancient cities often honored great leaders by erecting pillars with their names inscribed on them. God’s pillars are not made of stone. His pillars are faithful people who bear His name for His glory.

“I will write on him the name of My God”

“And the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem”

“And My new name”

Jesus will write three names upon the overcoming believer. Will these be literal tattoos?

Name implies understanding. Jesus will give special understanding of the Father, Himself, and the City. He will give the overcomer ownership and authority in the City and a special understanding of how the City works.

You ask, why do we need the name or understanding of the City? Have you ever been in a 1500 miles long, wide, and high city before? 1500 miles is from here to the east coast. You get out in the middle of the city and wonder, “Now, where am I? How does this place work?” That is a big City. It is not only 1500 miles in one direction, but it is also 1500 miles high.

You are going to want the understanding of that city. Jesus says, “I will write it on you. I will put the compass—the understanding of the glory of the city—and the authority to move about the city right inside of you.

I have been in a few big cities over the years. They are overwhelming, I mean, you could get lost in them. That is similar to what is going on in this city. Cities are mysterious. But there is a city of which He says, “I will write its name on you.”

Some are given the “key to a city” or are called a father of that city to honor their connection to that city. This honor points to one’s unusual authority, commitment and understanding of a city.

And He will write the name of the Father and His own name on us—His own new name. That means that there are facets of the person of the Father and of the Son which have not yet been made known, but which Jesus will make known to the overcomer. There are dimensions of Himself that Jesus wants to unveil.

General Admonition: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Jesus promised to keep them from the “hour of trial” which shall “come upon the whole world” (verse 10). If indeed this is a promise that the church will be removed in the rapture prior to the time of tribulation, then the promise to the church at Philadelphia is a promise to the church universal. This indicates that the specific instructions and promises of our Lord to these local churches are not limited to any particular era of church history. Rather, these instructions and promises are applicable to all the churches of all time.

Conclusion

Jesus is coming soon! We forget that so easily. We go about our daily lives as if this world is all that mattered. But Jesus is coming soon! He will reward His faithful servants. That promise should pull us forward through life. It should give us the focus to live each day to please Him at His coming.

For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the Lord of armies, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branches. But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and frolic like calves from the stall. (Malachi 4:1-2)

WWJS to the faithful church: “Hold fast. I’m coming soon.”

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