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 (TRUTH) and have not denied my name. (LOVE) Revelation 3
Philadelphia, means ‘brotherly love or fraternal affection’. The American city of this name was founded in October 1685 by the Quaker William Penn, but the original city called Philadelphia in the Bible is no longer known by that name in modern day Turkey.
We saw in Revelation 2 that the Lord complimented several good things in the Church in Ephesus, but He rebuked them because they had left or lost their first love. He told them that they had to repent and do the things they’d done at first or He would come and remove their lamp stand. Interesting that the Church is represented by a Lamp Stand, we are called to be salt and light in this dark world. (Chorus: This little light of mine, I’m gonna let shine…)
Philadelphia was one of only two churches that the Lord didn’t call to repent in Revelation. The other was Smyrna, which is a type of the ‘Persecuted Church’. Philadelphia was a Church that walked or functioned in LOVE AND TRUTH, as seen in verse 8 above. Johnny Enlow said Ephesus was a one-legged church, they’d majored so much in uncovering sin e.g. false apostles that they’d LOST THEIR FIRST LOVE. Philadelphia, which we saw meant ‘Brotherly Love’, kept hold of the Truth, but walked in Love. THEY WERE A BALANCED CHURCH. The Church to which we belong should be committed to both, according to the Lord’s words in Revelation.
Finally, I have a memory from many years ago, when the Lord gave me the first part of verse 8 in a church meeting. A minister and his family had only recently come to N.Ireland from living in Southern Africa. He was sharing in a meeting in the Church we attended and the Lord had called him to organise a prayer march around this province for peace. (The troubles were still ongoing in N.Ireland at that time) The Spirit began to move in the meeting after the preaching and people were sharing different words. I shared the verse above;
8 I know your deeds. SEE, I HAVE PLACED BEFORE YOU AN OPEN DOOR THAT NO ONE CAN SHUT. Revelation 3
The Lord had given the same scripture to this brother before they left Southern Africa and it encouraged him for what lay ahead when he received it again. God used it to strengthen him and his family at a time of great change in their lives. God also spoke words of comfort to the churches in Smyrna and Philadelphia because they were standing firm and honouring Him in the face of opposition.
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. Revelation 3
May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.