hotcoffee
New Member
Revelation 3:7 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
The ancient city of Philadelphi is now known as Alasehir. It's a great place to grow grapes. The inhabitants of Philadelphia weren't rich. They were not particularly flamboyant.
It too was struck by earthquakes. They started in 17 AD and rattled on for twenty years. This city, however, was rebuilt.
Unlike a lot of the churches cited in Revelation.... there was nothing bad said about Philadelphia.
They were offered an "open door". This is quite a statement. Now I have given my daughter a key to the house because she is always welcome. Philadelphia wasn't given a key.... they were given an open door. To me that means that Jesus and His Father [our Father] will always be home for them and the people of the Church of Philadelphia are so loved that they can come home any time.
On top of that.... they get their name on the mailbox! Look, it says Jesus will build a pillar and at the top of that pillar will be the name of the Father .... I AM... and under it will be the names of the people who have kept the faith and endured. We do the same thing... we put up our address and our names on the mailbox so everyone everywhere can find us.
In verse 10, though, comes the words that confuse a lot of people. Verse 10 says "I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth". Enter the Pre-trib question. Does this mean that the people of the Church of Philadelphi, the ones who are weak and poor, who still remain faithful and persevere will be spared the Great Tribulation? Oh I hope so.... but one of the commentaries I read doesn't seem to point that way.
If Noah had to go through the flood and if Moses and the rest of the Jews had to endure the agonizing screams that must have echoed through the streets the night of the Passover, what would make me, a little Christian in Lusby, Maryland, escape the "hour of trial" that's coming?
Revelation 3:10 gives me hope that I might be taken up before then.... but if I'm still here, I know He'll be helping me through it. I've had a lot of "hours of trial" in my life.... and He's been there.
Last edited: