Letters to the Churches: Philadelphia

The sixth letter from John is to the church at Philadelphia.

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.


Philadelphia is Greek for "brotherly love", and was founded by King Attalus II Philadelphus in honor of his brother King Eumenes II Philadelphus. It was located at the foot of Mt Tmolus on the Cogamus river. This put the city on the main trading route, and made this city an important trading center and very wealthy. The city was founded to be a missionary city, spreading Hellenism (Greek culture and civilization). Another name for the city was "little Athens" because of the many temples located in the city, the chief of which was a temple to Baachus the god of wine. 


Jesus identifies himself as the one who holds the key of David, what He opens no one can shut and what He shuts, no one can open. This means that Jesus has the authority to admit people to heaven, or to refuse them entrance. He alone is Holy and has that right. The church in Philadelphia was small, but they kept true to Jesus. They were probably persecuted by the Jews, but they did not deny Jesus name. In response to this, Jesus tells them that He has placed an open door in front of them, this is meant to be the door to heaven; a reward for their faithful service. He calls the Jews the synagogue of Satan, they are Jews by birth, but they denied Christ and persecuted the Christians. They will one day fall down at the Christians feet and acknowledge that they were the true church of Christ, this will happen at the final judgement. The final part of Jesus promise to the church is to keep them from the hour of trial that is going to come on the world. This refers to the rapture of the church before the seven years of tribulation, when the Antichrist will rule the world, and God will rain down many judgments. This is the view common among pre-tribulationists, though some post-tribulationists believe that the believers will have to endure the tribulation period, but God will protect them during this time. We will discuss the rapture at a later time. 


Jesus then tells the church that He will return soon, and when He does the church will be ushered into the new Jerusalem, where they would dwell forever.