Bible End Times Prophecy Series – Week 41
The Seven Churches of Revelation
Revelation 3:7-13 (NLT)*
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| St. John's Church, Alasehir. Simon Jenkins/Wikimedia. |
Letter to the church at Philadelphia
7 “Write this letter to
the angel of the church in Philadelphia.
This is the message from the one who is holy and true,
the one who has the key of David.
What he opens, no one can close;
and what he closes, no one can open:
the one who has the key of David.
What he opens, no one can close;
and what he closes, no one can open:
8 “I know all the things
you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little
strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me. 9 Look, I
will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue—those liars who say they are
Jews but are not—to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that
you are the ones I love.
10 “Because you have
obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of
testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this
world.
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that
no one will take away your crown.
12 All who are victorious
will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave
it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in
the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God.
And I will also write on them my new name.
13 “Anyone with ears to
hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the
churches."
[*Look up scriptures at BibleGateway.Com]
Background and commentary
John the apostle is considered the writer of the Apocalypse
or Revelation. He wrote down what the risen Lord Jesus Christ both told and
showed him in a series of visions of the future. The letters to the seven
churches in Asia Minor are messages that apply to the Christian church overall
as well as to individual believers.
In John’s time, Philadelphia, or the "city of brotherly love," was part of a governmental
district of Sardis. Today it is known as Alasehir,Turkey. According to
historians, the city suffered a serious earthquake in AD 17, an event which despite
being on an important trade route, may have set back Philadelphia economically.
From the Bible text, it is apparent that Jews who were opposed to Christianity
lived there. Christian converts at the time would have included Jews and non-Jews.
Thus, persecution came from all sides.
And once again, we find a reference to “Satan’s synagogue,”
very strong language coming from the Lord (Rev. 3:9). We can infer from
these references in several of the letters to the seven churches, that Satan is
behind blinding people to the truth about Jesus Christ as Savior and Messiah,
and inspires the persecution of believers.
Here are some of the promises that Jesus proclaimed for believers
like the Philadelphians who persevere to the end:
Jesus will make a way for them, opening a door for them
that no one can close. Rev. 3:8.
Their enemies will have to acknowledge that they were
right: Jesus is Lord. Rev. 3:9.
They will be delivered from the time of testing (rapture?) that will
come on the entire world to those who “belong to the world.” Rev. 3:10. In
1 John 2:15 (ESV), we are warned against attaching ourselves to the
world: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the
world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
They will receive a crown that no one can take away. Rev.
3:11.
They will become pillars in the Temple of God and never
have to leave it. Rev. 3:12.
They will receive the name of God and the new name of Jesus,
which will be written on them: Rev. 3:12. (This contrasts with the "mark
of the beast," the number of the name of a man, which we will read about later; Rev. 14:9-10.)
They will be citizens of the New Jerusalem. Rev.3:12.
In His message, Jesus lavishes praise and encouragement on
the Philadelphians for their faithfulness. His reference to their being “weak”
likely is related to the kind of persecution that the church was enduring under Roman rule.
His message ought to serve as encouragement to believers worldwide who live in regions that are hostile to the Gospel
and who suffer persecution.
You can lead a victorious life
John 15:4 “Remain in me, and I
will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the
vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”
1 John 2:16 (NIV) –
“For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and
the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world.
1 John 2:16 (NLT) –
“For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for
everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not
from the Father, but are from this world.”
Jesus Christ, the Savior – You must be born
again
The sinless Jesus Christ took on the sins of the world AND
the punishment for those sins so that we could be saved.
Today, if you do not know Jesus, receive His free offer of
salvation and put all your trust in Him.
John 1:29 (NLT) – “The next day
he [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb
of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
2 Corinthians 6:2 – “
For God says,
“At just the right time, I heard you.
On the day of salvation, I helped you.”
On the day of salvation, I helped you.”
Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of
salvation.”
Acts 2:38 (NLT) – “Peter
replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”
Shalom
Faith Today Christian Ministries
Exalting the name of Jesus!
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