Revelation 3:7 ¶ And to the
angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy,
he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man
shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; 8
I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no
man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and
hast not denied my name. 9 Behold, I
will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not,
but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and
to know that I have loved thee. 10
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee
from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them
that dwell upon the earth. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which
thou hast, that no man take thy crown. 12
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he
shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the
name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of
heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. 13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit saith unto the churches.
The Philadelphia church is
blessed. John uses a thought from Isaiah here to begin.
Isaiah 22:22 And the key of the
house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall
shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
The open door is clear by cross-referencing as the church’s witness for
Christ.
John 10:7 Then said Jesus unto
them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
1Corinthians 16:9 For a great
door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.
2Corinthians 2:12 ¶ Furthermore,
when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened unto me
of the Lord,
Colossians 4:3 Withal praying
also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the
mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
Again, the Synagogue of Satan, if
referring to Replacement Theology, is a great hindrance to the Gospel.
Historically, church organizations that depend on babies being born to
followers, baptized near birth, and raised with a nominal adherence to Biblical
truth but following specific rituals have been very hostile to the spread of the
gospel of Jesus Christ. They desired to spread the idea of the authority of
their church. They viewed themselves as a replacement for the Jews and were
trying to establish a kingdom on earth, filling graves in the process.
Christ says that, at some point,
they will come and fall at the feet and pay reverence, or worship, to this
evangelical church, realizing that Christ loved that church. Here, we have
confirmation of one definition of the act of worship.
Psalm 95:6 O come, let us
worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
Matthew 4:9 And saith unto him,
All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
The Philadelphia church has been
faithful to the word of Christ’s patience. Now, there’s something you don’t
hear much preaching on. What is Christ’s patience? Patience is normally used
for something that we are given. The patience of God is not usually spoken of,
but His forbearance and longsuffering, which are synonyms with patience. God
restrains Himself from wrath and judgment to give men and women the opportunity
to turn from dead works that do not justify them but condemn them, to Him.
After a long list of the sins of
mankind throughout history in Romans, chapter 1, Paul says;
Romans 2:1 ¶ Therefore thou art
inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest
another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
2 But we are sure that the judgment of
God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest
them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the
judgment of God? 4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and
longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Romans 3:20 Therefore by the
deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law
is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the
righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law
and the prophets; 22 Even the
righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all
them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the
glory of God; 24 Being justified freely
by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation
through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of
sins that are past, through the forbearance
of God; 26 To declare, I say, at
this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him
which believeth in Jesus.
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