Revelation the Book
Revelation the Book
We continue looking at the seven messages in Revelation 2-3. from Jesus to the churches of Asia. We now study the second last message addressed to Philadelphia.
Rev 3:7-9
Philadelphia A small farming town on the edge of a fertile valley. There is still a farming town there today. Although just a church in the country, and not a big city church with prestige, the church in Philadelphia was strong. It was one of two churches out of the seven that Jesus did not have something against (the other was Smyrna).
He who... has the key of David Jesus calls himself here "He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens..." (cf Isa 22:22). In the vision of Christ which John saw, Christ said to John, "I have the keys of death and of Hades" (Rev 1:18). This is the same as saying, "I have the key of eternal life".
The "key of David" represents the same thing as "the keys of death and of Hades" (Rev 1:18).. Peter, on the day of Pentecost, explained that "David, because he was a prophet, and knew that God had sworn with an oath to seat one of his descendants upon his throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of Christ that his soul was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh suffer decay." (Acts 2:22-39).
Only Jesus the King of kings, who now and forevermore sits on David's throne, has the power to give or deny eternal life. When he opens heaven for you, nobody can shut you out. If he shuts you out, nobody can let you in.
I know... The deeds of the church at Philadelphia, although "little" were able to be used by Christ. He opened a door for them to preach the message of eternal life which they themselves had been keeping.
Jews... Synagogue of Satan There was a dispersion of the Jews across the world. In many places, like Smyrna, they opposed and even persecuted Christians. They "say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan". The gospel teaches that a Jew is not a Jew outwardly but inwardly (Rom 2:28-29 Rom 9:6-8). Jews who rejects Christ are not considered by God to be true Jews, but are considered to belong to Satan. Remember that Jesus is a Jew, which adds poignancy to his comment about the Jews in Smyrna.
Lesson continued (Part 2)