Kingdom 103: Philadelphia, Its Believers' Characteristics
The Faithful church.
Now, the city of Philadelphia. First let's view the condition of its believers who resided there. The Lord Jesus spoke theses words to His representative John: “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,
‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. 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.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
Philadelphia was founded by the citizens of Pergamos. The community was built in a frontier area as a gateway to the central plateau of Asia Minor. Philadelphia's residents kept barbarians out of the region and brought in Greek culture and language. Please note: the city was destroyed by an earthquake in A.D. 17, and aftershocks kept the people so worried that most of them lived outside the city limits. The name means "brotherly love" and commemorates the loyalty and devotion of Attalus II (220-130 B.C.) to his brother Eumenes II.
Now concerning the key of David: Christ is the Davidic Messiah with authority to control the entrance to the Kingdom. The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; so he shall open, and no one shall shut; and he shall shut, and no one shall open. The Lord Jesus made this statement to Peter: And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” What door is He speaking of? The door of opportunity or the door to the Kingdom? Well, the context favors the latter--the door of the Kingdom. The synagogue of Satan was a bold metaphor directed against unbelieving and hostile Jews who in essence weren't Jews, but were only claiming to be Jews. Even today we have those in this world system: Those who are claiming to be black Israelites. There is nowhere in God's Constitution where He identified His people by the color of their skin. That is a deception from Satan and his demons meant to bring division among His people. By the way, Jesus rebuked them. Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. Even the ambassador Paul addressed the very same situation. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
You must understand, the Jewish synagogue was a gathering place for worship, study and communal activities. The ambassador Paul gave some clarification to those who claimed to be Jews from the outside. For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. If a Gentile's deeds exceeded those of a Jew in righteousness, that very fact condemned the Jew, who had an immeasurably better set of standards in the law of Moses. The same applies to those who are Kingdom citizens. Our standards are those of our Kingdom culture, not of those of some religious organization. We live and behave by the Word of the living God. His Spirit lives in us. That allows us to be those faithful believers in the Kingdom. Faithful and true to God's Word, no matter what comes against us.
Go to part 2
Revelation 3:7-13 Isaiah 22:22 Matthew 16:19
John 8:42-44 II Corinthians 11:13-15 Romans 2:28-29
~~W.R. Luchie
Now, the city of Philadelphia. First let's view the condition of its believers who resided there. The Lord Jesus spoke theses words to His representative John: “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,
‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. 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.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
Philadelphia was founded by the citizens of Pergamos. The community was built in a frontier area as a gateway to the central plateau of Asia Minor. Philadelphia's residents kept barbarians out of the region and brought in Greek culture and language. Please note: the city was destroyed by an earthquake in A.D. 17, and aftershocks kept the people so worried that most of them lived outside the city limits. The name means "brotherly love" and commemorates the loyalty and devotion of Attalus II (220-130 B.C.) to his brother Eumenes II.
Now concerning the key of David: Christ is the Davidic Messiah with authority to control the entrance to the Kingdom. The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; so he shall open, and no one shall shut; and he shall shut, and no one shall open. The Lord Jesus made this statement to Peter: And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” What door is He speaking of? The door of opportunity or the door to the Kingdom? Well, the context favors the latter--the door of the Kingdom. The synagogue of Satan was a bold metaphor directed against unbelieving and hostile Jews who in essence weren't Jews, but were only claiming to be Jews. Even today we have those in this world system: Those who are claiming to be black Israelites. There is nowhere in God's Constitution where He identified His people by the color of their skin. That is a deception from Satan and his demons meant to bring division among His people. By the way, Jesus rebuked them. Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. Even the ambassador Paul addressed the very same situation. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
You must understand, the Jewish synagogue was a gathering place for worship, study and communal activities. The ambassador Paul gave some clarification to those who claimed to be Jews from the outside. For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. If a Gentile's deeds exceeded those of a Jew in righteousness, that very fact condemned the Jew, who had an immeasurably better set of standards in the law of Moses. The same applies to those who are Kingdom citizens. Our standards are those of our Kingdom culture, not of those of some religious organization. We live and behave by the Word of the living God. His Spirit lives in us. That allows us to be those faithful believers in the Kingdom. Faithful and true to God's Word, no matter what comes against us.
Go to part 2
Revelation 3:7-13 Isaiah 22:22 Matthew 16:19
John 8:42-44 II Corinthians 11:13-15 Romans 2:28-29
~~W.R. Luchie
