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REVELATION - Behold, I am Coming Soon
Studies in the Book of Revelation
BOOK 1 - BEHOLD, I AM COMING QUICKLY! (REVELATION 1:1 - 3:22)
PART 1.2 THE FIRST VISION AND ITS CONSEQUENCES ON EARTH: THE APPEARING OF THE SON OF MAN TO SANCTIFY HIS CHURCHES (REVELATION 1:9 - 3:22)
PART 1.2.2 THE LETTERS OF JESUS CHRIST TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES IN ASIA MINOR (REVELATION 2:1 - 3:21)

6. Jesus Christ’s Message to the Church Leader in Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13)


Indeed I Will Make Those of the Synagogue of Satan, Indeed I Will Make Them Come and Worship Before Your Feet, and to Know That I Have Loved you: The word of warning, “Indeed”, rings twice in this verse. The sensation in Philadelphia was that some of the opposing Jews followed the true faith and were thoroughly converted. Yet, Jesus had testified three times in the first person that it was not the church leader who would have convinced these Jews, but He himself. Jesus Himself had intervened in their lives and opened their eyes and minds in order that they should recognize that He is the Christ of the Jews, and, at the same time, the Deliverer of mankind. It became evident to the Jews that they had been unfair to the church leader when they cursed him, fabricated lies against him, and hated him. They recognized from his manner of life and heard from his mouth that it was this “heathen”, after all, who was the messenger of Christ in Philadelphia. They fell down at his feet and begged his pardon. They worshipped Jesus in adoration, for He had also given salvation to the heathen. They may have asked the minister to intercede to Jesus on their behalf, for they recognized that they had blasphemed and attacked their King Himself.

For the second time in the seven church letters Jesus calls a local assembly the synagogue of Satan. Not all the Jews in Philadelphia followed the true faith and came to Jesus, but few of them. The majority continued in their refusal against Christ and hardened their hearts against the Gospel, allowing the spirit of Satan to enter them. They held fast to their righteousness through the Law of Moses, and refused the free grace of Jesus Christ.

The Christians in Philadelphia had testified of their respect to Abraham, Moses and David, and lived to a great extent according to the Ten Commandments. The Jews, however, like Maimonides later, abstracted 613 judgments of the Law from the Torah - 248 commandments and 365 prohibitions. These commandments gave the direction to their life, law, and way to heaven. With all their strength they held fast to the Sabbath, to their circumcision, and to their covenant. In their eyes all nations were unclean and ignorant, for they neither knew nor loved the one and only God.

The church leader, however, testified to them of the new covenant through baptism and communion, and tried to explain to them the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ followers. He confirmed to them that our righteousness is established only on the grounds of Christ’s atoning sacrifice, and not on our good works. All Christian are circumcised in heart, not in body, and keep Sunday as the day of resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

They Say They are Jews and are not Jews: Jesus saw in the Law of Moses the pedagogue that was to lead the children of Abraham to repentance, and to a breaking of their pride and self-righteousness in preparation for His coming. He hoped that they would receive Him with open arms as their King, Lord, and Christ. But they held up their Law as armor against him, rejected him, and wanted to atone for their sins themselves.

Jesus made it clear that every Israeli who does not know Him, accept Him, or acknowledge Him, is not a true Jew. He remains a prisoner of spiritual blindness, even while confessing the opposite of the truth.

Jesus and Paul acknowledged that every true Jew loves Jesus and testifies of Him, even as the apostles and the early church held together to both the old and the new law, to the Old and the New Covenants. Jesus is the perfect Jew. He who believes in Him is justified. Circumcision in body, keeping the Sabbath, and binding the arm with prayer phylacteries would not change the heart. Only the blood of Christ can change, purify and sanctify the heart, even of a Jew.

Jesus testified to the church leader in Philadelphia that he, in himself, had only a little strength. Yet Jesus, who had penetrated into the territory of the devil, had illuminated some of the seekers of truth in the synagogue, and motivated them through His Spirit to come to Him in faith, and to confess openly that the church leader was one of the Messiah's beloved.

Jesus’ declaration of love is the Christian’s secret. The Son of Man became man, so that there might be a man to live in holiness and be worthy to die in our place as the Lamb of God. The cross of Christ is the symbol of God’s love to all men. We are all beloved of the Father, for his Sons’ sake. The Qur’an, which denies the cross and God’s love for Christians (Suras al-Nisa' 4:157; al-Ma'ida 5:18) cannot change this truth. God loves every man “for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Besides this love of God that was sealed on the cross for every sinner, Christ testified of His own love for the church leader in Philadelphia. He loved him because he had held fast to His word and not denied His name, in spite of the violent attacks. Although he had never visibly seen his Savior, he had stood up for Him with all his being. Jesus loved this man. His heart beat for him. He had brought joy to Him.

We must ask ourselves the question: “Are we friends of God? Do we please Jesus with our service? Or do we cause Him to suffer more through our manner of living?”

You Have Kept My Command to Persevere, I Also Will Keep you From the Hour of Trial: Jesus expanded the reason for His love to His insignificant servant and repeated: “You have kept My command”. He further enlarged the statement and said: “You have kept My command to persevere”. The violent opposition on the part of the Jews in Philadelphia could have led to hatred or resignation, and maybe even to an inferiority complex, since the church leader had to face the scholarly Jewish rabbis. But nothing of the sort happened to him, for he received power from the love of Jesus Christ. That is why he forgave his attackers for their false accusations and defamation, endured them patiently, and prayed for them constantly. He did not abandon the hope that those who had been deeply rooted in the Old Testament should also come to recognize the glory of Jesus, the Son of God.

The word of Paul also came true in Philadelphia: “For the message of the cross is to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness. But to us who are being saved it is Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). The truth of this was also being experienced by Jewish Christians that had joined the Hellenistic church in Philadelphia. For them the cross became the connecting link between their legalistic Semitic culture and the superficial life of the Greeks and the Romans. The followers of Christ from both cultures were unified in the cross, and the name of Philadelphia (brotherly love) was being materialized in them.

Jesus was able to speak an essential prophecy into this church of brotherly love. He spoke about the “hour of trial”, which was to come upon the whole earth. Trial signifies temptation to defect from the union of the Holy Trinity. That is why Jesus taught all the children of God to pray, “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13). Real temptations often come from the devil and his servants. Satan had already tempted Eve to doubt, disobey, and to revolt against God (Genesis 3:1-19). He wanted to tempt Jesus into a salvation without the cross (Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus had repeatedly warned His disciples that many false prophets and the antichrist would arise to deceive believers (Matthew 24:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10; Revelation 13:14). John, the receiver of the revelation, confirmed the prophecy of Jesus, and gave the church criteria to help her in discerning and uncovering the tempters (1 John 2:20-24; 3:1-6).

Time after time the devil tries to lead man into arrogant pride. He whispers into his mind that some sort of a socialistic paradise of laborers, or the capitalistic welfare society will solve the problems of humanity and lead them to a limitless liberty, equity and brotherhood (Philadelphia).

Today skyscrapers are growing up in the big cities of the world as a thousand-fold imitation of the tower of Babel. The call to a new world system inspired by the devil moves humanity through countless confederations towards the final worldwide government of the antichrist. The global network (www = 666) links us together into a fearful alliance. Islam, in particular, is becoming puffed up, and one-fifth of the profit from oil sales is intended for the strengthening and the spreading of Islam. Without doubt, Muhammad has developed into one of the most significant false prophets who ever lived, who immunized more than one-fifth of mankind against the Son of God and His crucifixion.

Yet the prophecy of Jesus about the increasing trial, which would lead to a turning away from God and His Lamb, included a wonderful surprise for the minister in Philadelphia, which also included his church: The Lord would keep him from the hour of trial because he had kept his command to persevere.

This promise of Jesus signifies a gracious exception, and a great privilege to those that are deeply-rooted in the Bible and faithfully committed to Christ: The hour of trial may come quickly, concealed, or even in a friendly way. The church leader, however, would remain safe from it. It would not afflict him, for he was deeply-rooted in Christ, the word of God. He would not fall into trial because his Lord would protect him from trial. Trial does not always signify persecution. Persecution is but the last available means the devil has to tempt Christians to refuse the Son of God and His Father. Paul stressed to the Ephesians the need to put on the whole armor of God that they may be able to withstand on the day of trial and overcome the power of the evil one in the name of Jesus (Ephesians 6:10-20). He engraved on their minds: “Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”.

Jesus summarized his promise to the church leader in a glorious word of hope and an encouraging summons:

Behold, I am Coming Quickly! Hold Fast What you Have, That no one may Take Your Crown: For the sixth time in this revelation we encounter the words: See! Behold! The preacher was again to see and behold something unprecedented. As before, it began with the summons: Behold, I …! He needed to recognize Jesus as the Lord and coming King, keep Him before his eyes, and be clearly focused on Him in all his actions.

Death does not end all things; rather, the final point of world history will come with the bursting through of the glory of the Son of Man, which shall shine more brilliantly than the sun, just as John realized in his first vision on Patmos.

God will make Jesus’ enemies His footstool (Psalm 110:1). We cannot overcome Communism, Capitalism, Hinduism, Islam, Mariolatry, or antichristian Judaism. The Father, however, will honor the Son, and bring unto submission to Him all evil spirits and rebellious powers, that He might condemn them and tread them to ashes under His glowing feet. The second coming of Jesus signifies the visible beginning of His triumphal procession on earth. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the glorious coming of Jesus overcome all the inhabitants of the earth (Matthew 24:27,30). Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming quickly!” With every passing second His return draws nearer. As soon as trial and the great tribulation come to all the nations of the earth (Matthew 24:29) His coming will be near.

We should not try to calculate the time of His coming, so as to predict it beforehand, but wake up, patiently wait, and prepare ourselves for Him. Maybe He has delayed His coming until now to give all nations, tongues and faiths a chance to hear His gospel. Today only one-third of humanity call themselves Christians. The other three or four billion have, for the most part, yet to hear of His salvation. Whoever is anxiously awaiting Christ’s second coming and is inwardly at unrest needs to immediately put himself at God's disposal in prayer, in wealth, and in a life fixed on world mission. There is still much to do in order that everything should be ready for His coming. You, too, prepare the way of the Lord.

Jesus thoroughly commended the church leader in Philadelphia, saying to him: “Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown”. The victory crown may signify that this man was the most righteous and patient minister of all the churches in Asia Minor, who held fast to the word of God and defended the name of Jesus whenever required. The preacher himself did not attract much attention in the hustle of this Hellenic city. Jesus, however, had already set aside a victory crown for him, who was running a good race in missionary service amid increasing opposition.

This man had something that others neither knew of nor appreciated: The word of God was his strength and the name of Jesus was his key to the kingdom of heaven. He knew and confessed: the Crucified One is not dead but alive; He reigns, rules and will come again in triumph. He did not water-down the Gospel through the law of the Jews or the philosophy of the Greeks. He held fast to what he had and, therefore, the power of God did not leave him.

His course, however, had not yet ended. During the race he still had no crown on his head. He lived from the powerful nutrition of the Gospel, as Jesus had said to the devil, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). He wanted to end his race looking at this promise and at the guiding hand of Jesus Christ. He trusted in Christ’s presence and was certain that the evil enemy would have no power over him.

The sixth word regarding Christ's coming was to strengthen His servant in competition, and bring more patience in faith.

He who Overcomes, I Will Make him a Pillar in the Temple of My God, and he Shall go out no More. 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 out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name: Just who and what was the church leader still to overcome, seeing he had already overcome so much? It was no more and no less than the devil’s lie, his power, tricks, money and society. The devil was preparing a world conspiracy; doubled watchfulness was required, in order that the churches not be indoctrinated by the lies of the “father of lies”. Watchfulness in the Holy Spirit remains a fundamental duty of every church leader who is rooted in Christ. It is his duty to teach and to live out the pure gospel.

Jesus declared His intent to make those servants and maidservants, who kept His church from the influence of foreign spirits and who saw to it that His gospel was being proclaimed among non-Christians, into eternal pillars in the temple of his God.

The church of Jesus Christ throughout the entire world is often called the temple of God, wherein the fullness of the Holy Spirit dwells (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; Colossians 2:9-10; 1 Peter 2:5- 7). Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone and the foundation of the temple (Ephesians 2:19-22). He who wants to build outside this foundation builds on sand. The apostles form the ground floor and the doors to the temple. The prospect of becoming a viable, burden- bearing element in the temple of God was granted to the church leader in Philadelphia. In Lebanon, a general is called ‘Ameed, which signifies a pillar in the state.

The promise of never being removed from the temple of God was given to the servant with little strength. He was to remain forever, for he had received the power to carry and bear from the word of his Lord. What a privilege to be called to remain forever in the presence of God and to be charged with carrying out service to our Heavenly Father in heaven! Eternity brings Christians no dreamland sleep, but co-responsibility for service and blessing in the power of Jesus Christ.

The Lord of glory spoke for the ninth time in the first person “I” form. He said He would visibly carve into these pillars of His eternal temple three names, which should show exactly who the donor of these pillars was, and furthermore, who they were to glorify:

First of all, they were to glorify the name of God, whom Jesus called “My God”. The name reads “our Father in heaven”. He is the true Father to everyone that is called a son in heaven and on earth. He is the Father of glory, the Father of lights, the Father of Spirits, the Father of mercy and the righteous and Holy Father. There remain still 346 different names for God in the Holy Bible. Jesus, however, taught us to pray to His Father in heaven. This unique name of God will yet be carved into this pillar in a visible manner to show who God is, and who it is that maintains faithfulness to His Father name.

The second name to be carved into the pillar was the name of the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from the Father in heaven. This future city can be compared to a huge great cube, whose length, breadth and height is 2,220 km* in each dimension. The New Jerusalem in heaven resembles the Kaaba, but is filled with light and glory. This white cube of joy is not small, black or inaccessible. Believers shall not have to go round it, as Muslims do the Kaaba in Mecca, but faithful Christians shall freely enter into the city. They themselves make up the city that is filled with life, light and power. The heavenly Jerusalem is holy, and no creation of earth, stone and perishable materials. It is born of the Spirit of God. This city perhaps signifies the fullness of the Holy Spirit concentrated in the union of all believers. In and of itself the heavenly city would not be important, but because it is the dwelling place of God and His Lamb it signifies the center of the universe.

* cf. Revelation 21:16: 12,000 stadia x 0,185 km/stadium = 2,200 km.

Do you have the right of citizenship in the heavenly Jerusalem? Are the names of the Father and the Son carved into your life and are they visible from afar? Has the name of the heavenly Jerusalem been written in your heart?

Jesus says he will write a third name on the future pillar in the temple of God, that is, His own name. At His second coming Jesus will reveal His new name, which we do not now know. Until today we read in the Old and the New Testaments of about 250 different names and attributes to Jesus Christ. Which name is most precious to you? The Lord, the Savior, the Word of God, the Lamb, the Son of Man..? Which name of Jesus do you most identify with? His future name will be more glorious and, at the same time, more humble that we can ever imagine. The man on whom this name will be written is a man with a future. He is wrapped in the names of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

He who has an Ear, let him Hear What the Spirit Says to the Churches: In the spectrum of sound waves, there are high and low frequencies that lie far outside the ability of man to hear. We need special electronic instruments and monitors to enable us to record and display such frequencies.

In like fashion, in the spiritual realm there are revelations and words of God that surpass our normal and limited understanding. To detect them one requires a spiritual earphone or a new ear. Sometimes the eardrum becomes closed because of a single bit of earwax, so that the ear needs to be rinsed out. If we cannot hear God's word well then we perhaps need a cleansing of our conscience and a confession of our sin. Only then will nothing more hinder our hearing of the word of God.

When God speaks to you, keep His word, and do not forget it quickly. Fill your heart with His word, so that you may receive great power in your soul. Never let His word go in one ear and out the other. God speaks to you. Listen, believe, thank, keep, and tell others what Jesus has given you to do.

Beware! There are voices other that the voice of God. Examine every voice to see if it is in conformity with the Bible, with the words of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Do not believe every word, and particularly those that come from within you. You are not something special, and you are not a prophet. God, however, speaks to you because He loves you in Jesus Christ. All the voices that do not glorify the Father and the Son are not from the Holy Spirit and are not true.

PRAYER: Mighty Savior, we give thanks to You with praise because You opened the eyes of Your haughty enemies that they noticed that You were with the humble minister. You led them into sincere repentance, kept Your servant from the hour of trial upon the whole world, and assured him that You would come to our earth quickly. Help us to worship You in faithfulness, hold fast our freely-given crown of righteousness, continue in the protection of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the one God, and watch Your certain coming.

QUESTION

  1. What is the meaning of the remarkable promises given to the church minister in Philadelphia?

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