In the previous passage, we read Jesus’s letter through John to dead local churches. In this passage, we read Jesus’s letter through John to healthy local churches. Simply because a church is healthy or a believer is mature in the faith does not mean God has nothing more to say to that local church or individual. Sometimes we arrive at a certain level of spiritual health, maturity, or knowledge and assume that we have nothing more to glean. In reality, God is infinite, and we sit under His infinite tutelage. In the book of Revelation, Jesus speaks to the healthy church particularly: Hold fast, the kingdom of Heaven is currently coming down to the earth.
Revelation 3:7-13
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
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:
“I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; 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 out of heaven from My God, and My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
The commendation (v. 7-11)
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
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:
This is John’s most cryptic address to one of the seven churches. He addresses the messenger, or teaching pastor, of the church in Philadelphia.
Jesus is holy, true, and has the key of David. It was said of the Grand Vizier under Hezekiah that the vizier held the keys of David. What he opened, no one would shut. What he shut no one would open (Isaiah 22:22). John’s description, here, cannot be extruded to mean that Christ holds only the keys to eternal life or merely to every opportunity. He certainly does, but that’s not what this description means. Christ has all authority, power, and access in the Father’s domain. Jesus is to the Father who Eliakim was to Hezekiah—the manager of the Father’s kingdom and domain. He has this access for Himself. John contrasts Christ’s absolute authority and access with the small power people have. If people are to have any power or access in God’s domain, it must be given by Jesus—including salvation, sanctification, enjoyment, wealth, positions, roles, jobs, education, knowledge, technology, and everything else.
I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
Jesus grants this powerless local church some access because she has little power, has kept His word, and has not denied His name in this current tribulation (Cf. 1:9; 2:9, 13, 19). Jesus, though John, gives three characteristics that make this local church a healthy local church.
(1) The healthy local church has little power. The word for power, here, is δυναμις, meaning physical power, force, or might—particularly with regard to powerful deeds or marvelous works. This Greek word is where we derive the English “dynamic.” To be dynamic is to show one’s self powerful or able through works, or programs. The church at Philadelphia’s lack of dynamic presence makes her healthier than some of the other churches we’ve seen described in Revelation. According to the ways of the world, churches ought to be as dynamic as possible because having dynamic ministries, programs, music, and teaching is how people are attracted into the church. That is neither what Christ desires nor what makes a local church healthy. Local churches are healthy when they are humble, when they don’t presume to have much power or ability. Why? In their weakness and inability, Christ’s strength, ability, and authority is made evident. While dynamic local churches are working and working to attract people into their congregations, humble local churches are being given access to Christ’s kingdom as Christ builds His own church.
(2) The healthy local church has kept Christ’s word. Instead of tickling people’s ears or operating according to the progressive or traditional preferences of people, the healthy local church strives to understand and follow God’s word. The healthy local church considers Scripture to be entirely sufficient for life and ministry. Rather than polling people or following the latest advice concerning how to grow church attendance, get more visitors, or keep people coming back, the healthy local church simply tries her best to honor Christ’s preferences and instruction—keeping His word, not the words of people. This means correctly teaching the whole counsel of Scripture in order and context (expository preaching and teaching) and rightly explaining how Scripture applies to both life and ministry—not explaining only, but practicing. This is fruit, not root. We cannot become healthy local churches by forcing ourselves to be this way. When we seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness, we do come to care more about following Him than ourselves or others.
(3) The healthy local church has not denied Christ’s name. Even with widespread persecution under Domition and the tribulation of this world, the local church has confessed Christ. Fitting with humility and the keeping of Christ’s word, healthy local churches do not promote themselves, their names, or their own ministries. They confess and proclaim Christ. The church in Philadelphia had love, sound doctrine, humility, and faithfulness to Christ’s name.
Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.
Jesus describes the access He has granted; Worldly religious groups, the synagogue of Satan, will know God has loved His true church and not them. Like we saw in John’s previous addresses (2:9, 13, 24), the synagogue of Satan is given over to legalism while the church of Jesus Christ is His by grace alone, having the Law written on their hearts. The synagogue of Satan is outwardly religious, tells people about what they must or can do, and exalts human people and righteousness instead of Christ’s person and righteousness. They are outwardly Jews, or Christians, but Christ does not actually know them relationally and is not actually sanctifying them—their religion is merely by outward confession and action. They lie, even if they are ignorant of their own deception.
Jesus states that He will make the outwardly religious people come and bow down at the feet of the healthy local church. John is not clear, here, about the timing or literality of Jesus’s statement. All we know is that at some time and in some way, the worldly religious people in Philadelphia will bow before the sincere, healthy Jews and Christians there (Cf. 2:26). Jesus will cause this to happen in order to show the outwardly religious people that He has loved the healthy local church. Does this surprise you? Does it put you on edge to know that Christ loves His true, healthy churches and brings (or will bring) merely outwardly religious people to an hour of testing through which they see that Jesus loves His humble, Bible-teaching, and faithful local church instead of them? Jesus has a particular love for His true local church, whom He sanctifies by His word, that He does not have for those who practice mere human religion (Cf. Psalm 5:5; Malachi 1:3; Romans 1:13; Hosea 9:15, concerning God’s divine and particular hatred).
Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
Jesus’s true church has His perseverance through the current tribulation. Jesus promises to keep the Philadelphian church from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole world. John is writing in the late 90s AD; He believes this hour of testing is about to come—it will take place soon after John finishes writing Revelation. Some believe this testing refers to some seven-year great tribulation that is still future to us (almost 2,000 years after Revelation was written), but the text does not even hint at that possibility. In order to interpret the text that way, one must begin believing that there will be a futures even-year tribulation and read this verse as though John is writing about an event he has described anywhere leading up to this passage. The testing John refers to is other than the current tribulation, which the Philadelphian church is persevering through. It will come quickly along with Christ judgment (v. 11). Whenever we see the “coming of the Lord” imagery, it is often idiomatic referring specifically to judgment, not to Christ’s second coming. Such are the cases with the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:5, Sodom in Genesis 18:21, and Egypt in Exodus 3:8. Matthew 24:44 and 1 Thessalonians 5:2 are also statements of judgment and not second coming, parousia, or a rapture—like they are so often quoted out of context to defend. So, though the Philadelphian church is not kept from tribulation, she is kept from Christ’s explicit judgment—unlike the church at Sardis (see v. 3). The Philadelphian church is to hold fast through the tribulation until the time of Christ’s soon-to-come judgment (Cf. 1:7) under Domitian so that no one takes her crown of faithfulness. What is the local church to hold fast to? Her humility, the keeping of God’s word, and her faithfulness to Christ’s name.
The promise (v. 12-13)
He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; 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 out of heaven from My God, and My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
The one who overcomes (1 John 5:1-5) will become a pillar, or standing structure, in God’s temple. He will be God’s glory in God’s creation. He will be identified as God’s city, New Jerusalem. John is already revealing that, when he mentions the New Jerusalem, he does not refer to a literal city but to God’s people—symbolic pillars in His temple. John also reveals, here, that the New Jerusalem comes (καταβαινω), present tense, out of heaven from God. When John describes the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God to the earth—we must understand that he believes it is happening as he writes Revelation. From this, we glean three Biblical eschatological ideas: (1) the kingdom of heaven is not a future establishment for the earth but is coming to fill the earth as redemptive history progresses (Cf. Matthew 13:31-35), (2) every person who really believes in Jesus Christ is part of the New Jerusalem as God’s kingdom comes perpetually to the earth, and (3) God is renewing the earth over time and not destroying it in order to start over. The true Christian will bear Christ’s new name, which is Jesus Christ or Emmanuel—a name which Jesus newly gained in His incarnation. John recognizes that those who have been given ears to hear will hear and instructs them to hear. Again, he identifies the Holy Spirit as one with Christ speaking to every local church—in every location and age throughout redemptive history.
John encourages the healthy local church to hold fast even though there is still tribulation in the world. He tells the local church why she can be optimistic about the future. The end times views most people cause them to be very pessimistic about the world God has created and sustained—as if things will get worse and worse until, finally, God will end the world and recreate it. John presents a different picture. We can strive to honor God as He renews His world holistically throughout redemptive history—culminating with the saints, as coheirs of Christ, inheriting the whole world and every treasure that the world has produced (Cf. 21:7, 22-27). Our view of end times directly impacts the way we look at the world and perceive how God is working within His creation. May we be encouraged, be optimistic in a pessimistic world, seek to walk humbly, seek to know God more through His word, and confess His name rather than our own. God is doing great things as He redeems and renews His creation for His glory and the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
andrew paul cannon 
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