Revelation 3: Keep the word of Christ - Philadelphia - Author: Evert Jan Hempenius

Transcription

1 Revelatin 3: Keep the wrd f Christ - Philadelphia - Authr: Evert Jan Hempenius Fr any questins abut this Scripture passage r the ntes, please cntact us thrugh the Cntact Us tab n the website. Frewrd The prphetic message f Christ, which has been sent t the church f Philadelphia, has much t say t the church f the 21st-century. The church has little strength. This prbably refers t the number f its members and their scial status. There are many small churches in this wrld. Especially in thse cuntries where Christians are a minrity. Their strength desn t lie in the numbers, but in keeping the wrd f Christ. These churches will find a dr pened. Within the cntext f Revelatin, this might refer t Revelatin 4:1, but als t their effrts t evangelize. The church receives marvellus prmises. The faithful Christians will inherit the new heaven and new earth and serve Gd frever. The cntext, frm and structure, thelgical ntes, technical and hermeneutical ntes given in this sermn utline shw sme verlap with ther sermn utlines taken frm the Bk f Revelatin. This makes it pssible t use this sermn utline as a stand alne. Cntext The prphetic message f Jesus Christ t the church f Philadelphia is part f the Bk f Revelatin. The Bk f Revelatin is like a large painting. Yu need t lk at the whle in rder t understand the details. A brief utline f the Bk f Revelatin: 1 1 This utline fr sermns is very brief and des nt discuss all the (many) different theries abut the structures and utlines f the Bk f Revelatin. Beale (1999) prvides a detailed utline. Fr discussin see Garrw (1997).

2 Intrductin (Rev. 1:1-3) The rigin and cmmand t write this Revelatin dwn. The Bk f Revelatin (Rev. 1:4-22:21) Rev. 1:4-8 The pening liturgical setting. Rev. 1:9-3:22 PART 1 Rev. 4:1-22:11 PART 2 Rev. 22:12-21 The clsing liturgical setting. PART 1: The risen and exalted Christ and his seven messages t the seven churches in the Rman Prvince Asia. PART 2: The heavenly curtrm and the judgment f Gd, ending with the descent f the new heaven and earth. Part 1 (Rev. 1:9-3:22) Rev. 1:9-20 Rev. 2:1-3:22 The risen and exalted Christ reveals himself t Jhn and t the churches. The seven messages t the seven churches f Asia. Jesus Christ knws the deeds f each church and f each individual. He calls them t repent where necessary t prepare them fr the things t cme, which they need t vercme. There is much discussin abut the date f writing f the Revelatin. Sme cmmentatrs prpse a date near the reign f Emperr Ner (AD 68). Others prpse a date during the reign f emperr Dmitian (AD 81-96). In the case f the message t the church f Philadelphia, the utcme f this discussin is f lesser imprtance. They did nt suffer persecutin at the mment f writing. Christ will prtect them during the great tribulatin (Rev. 7:14). The sci-ecnmical and histrical-gegraphical cntext f 1st-century Philadelphia is nt that imprtant.

3 Frm and structure Each message t ne f the seven churches has the same structure: reference Cmmissin t write Rev 3:7 Presentatin f the exalted Christ Rev 3:7 Rev 1:18 Praises and cmmendatins Rev 3:8-10 Call t repentance 2 Prmise 3 Rev 3:11, 12 Rev 21:1-22:20 Call t listen Rev 3:13 Thelgical ntes General remarks The Bk f Revelatin is trinitarian (Gd Hly Spirit Jesus Christ; Rev. 1:4-5) in character. Gd is the first and the last (Rev. 1:8) Jesus Christ is the first and the last (Rev. 1:17). Jesus Christ speaks t the churches (Rev. 2:1-6) and the churches are summned t listen t what the Spirit (Rev. 2:7) says. The Bk f Revelatin is fremst a liturgical bk with prayers, dxlgies, cnfessins, prphecies and visins. It shws the heavenly liturgy in images and this liturgy affects the histry f this wrld when the plagues f Gd strike this earth. Rev. 4:11 explains why: Yu are wrthy, ur Lrd and Gd, t receive glry and hnr and pwer, fr yu created all things, and by yur will they were created and have their being. The first pririty in the life f every human being is t glrify Gd. This liturgical bk reminds us f the liturgy in the tabernacle (especially) and the temple f the Old Testament. This explains the many references t the altars and the priestly appearances f Christ and sme f his angels. The Bk f Revelatin is als a prphetic bk abut the past, the present and the future. It sheds light n the past, the present situatin f the seven churches in Asia Minr, and the future, culminating in the prmise f the new heaven and the new earth. Frm chapter 4 nwards the judgment f Gd is the dminating theme. He will d justice (Rev. 4-5; Rev. 6:10; Rev. 21:1-15 and ther passages). 2 There is n call t repentance. 3 Frm this message nwards the prmise precedes the call t listen.

4 Technical and hermeneutical ntes Reading and understanding the Bk f Revelatin requires: Prfund knwledge f the Old Testament. The bks f Exdus and Numbers, Ezekiel and Daniel are f particular imprtance in this regard. These bks bear relatin t ppressin and deliverance f the peple f Gd (Egypt and Babyln). Knwledge f the Greek-Rman wrld f the first century. Knwledge f figures f speech, because f all the metaphrs and ther figures f speech. Knwledge f the structure f Revelatin (see abve). (Elementary) knwledge f Hermeneutics. Jhn received this Revelatin frm Jesus Christ and at the same time, this Revelatin reveals the risen and exalted Christ, wh hlds the keys f (life and) death and Hades (Rev. 1:17). Jhn understd the wrds he heard and the visins he saw, thugh smetimes they needed t be explained t him (Rev. 1:19-20). Jhn wrte dwn what he heard and saw in this bk and sent it t the seven churches in Asia Minr, an imprtant prvince f the eastern part f the Rman Empire. In these seven messages t the churches f Asia, Jesus Christ addresses majr aspects f church life. He praises and rebukes them and gives them prmises f the life t cme. Christians, members f these churches, understd these messages. Twice, peple are mentined by name and they were warned against a mvement called the Niclaitans (Rev. 2:6; 2;15), active amng the churches. These Christians were far mre familiar with the figures f speech used in the Revelatin than we are nwadays. Figures f speech are nt always easily understd by 21st-century readers. Smetimes they are explained, mre ften nt. Figures f speech allw fr mre than ne explanatin and applicatin. That explains the multitude f cmmentaries and theries. In the prcess f explaining and applying the prphecies f this bk, the interpreter shuld ask himself tw questins: T which exegetical traditin d I belng? There is a plethra f traditins, especially in the Angl-American Wrld. T mentin nly three: Amillennialism; Pstmillennialism; Premillennialism.

5 Secndly, the interpreter shuld be aware f his wn situatin and f the lcal Christian cmmunity. What is my wn plitical-religius situatin and hw des this situatin affect my reading and understanding f the Bk f Revelatin? PHILADELPHIA was lcated near the upper end f the very fertile plateau in the Cgamus River in the midst f a very prsperus agricultural regin, thugh it was (and is) ntriusly subject t frequent earthquakes. A severe ne in AD 17 destryed the city, and this was fllwed by a series f intermittent shcks which led the peple t cntinue living utside the city fr sme years because f the structural instability f many f the city buildings and walls. This disaster made an indelible impact n the cntemprary wrld as the greatest in human histry (Pliny HN ). Philadelphia was amng the cities whse tribute (taxes) was remitted fr five years t allw the peple t have the resurces t rebuild. 4 Barclay cmments: When this earthquake devastated it, Tiberius was as generus t Philadelphia as he had been t Sardis. In gratitude, it changed its name t Necaesarea the New City f Caesar. In the time f Vespasian, Philadelphia was t change its name, again ut f gratitude, t Flavia, fr Flavius was the emperr s family name. It is true that neither f these new names lasted and Philadelphia was restred. But the peple f Philadelphia knew what it was t receive a new name. 5 (See Rev 3:12). Verse 7 Ignatius, the bishp f Antich n the Orntes, visited the city n his way t his martyrdm in Rme (AD 107) and als sent a letter frm Tras t the church at Philadelphia. Sme f the members f the church f this city were martyred ca AD 155 alng with Plycarp. 6 The name f the city means The lve f the brethren. Hly = ἅγιος : 1, 2. The ne wh is dedicated r cnsecrated t the service f Gd. 7 4 Gasque, W. W. (1992, p ). Philadelphia (Place). In D. N. Freedman (Ed.) 5 Barclay, W. (2004, Vl. 1, p. 138). 6 Gasque, W. W. (1992, p ). Philadelphia (Place). In D. N. Freedman (Ed.) 7 Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000, p.10).

6 True = ἀληθινός : 1. pertaining t being in accrd with what is true, true, trustwrthy f Christ, the judge f the wrld. 8 Verse 8-10 Placed = δίδωμι : 13. t grant by frmal actin, grant, allw. 9 Keep = τηρέω : 3. t persist in bedience, keep, bserve, fulfill, pay attentin t 10 (verse 8, 10). 2. t cause a state, cnditin, r activity t cntinue, keep, hld, reserve, preserve 11 (verse 10.b), b. unharmed r undisturbed, d. f being prtective. Expsitin Verse 7 T the angel f the church in Philadelphia write : The identity f the angel is unknwn. It might be a heavenly being, but als a human messenger: a human messenger serving as an envy, an envy, ne wh is sent. 12 By humans r by Gd; prphets. a transcendent pwer wh carries ut varius missins r tasks, messenger, angel. 13 By Gd. The mst bvius explanatin is a messenger sent by Jhn t the church f Ladicea, carrying nt nly this message but als a cpy f the Bk f Revelatin in rder t read it alud in frnt f the cngregatin. S that the members f this church can hear what the Spirit says t the churches (Rev. 3:22). These are the wrds f him wh is hly and true, wh hlds the key f David. What he pens n ne can shut, and what he shuts n ne can pen. These are the wrds. This is the slemn intrductin f a prphetic message, cmparable t intrductins f the wrds f the prphets f the Old Testament. f him wh is hly and true, (f Gd: Rev 4:8, 6:10). Christ is fully dedicated t Gd, his plan, and his service. 8 Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000, p. 43). 9 Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000, p. 243). 10 Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000, p. 1002). 11 Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000, p. 1002). 12 Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000, p. 8). 13 Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000, p. 8).

7 Verse 8-10 I knw yur deeds. And as judge, he will be true and trustwrthy. It is a Messianic title (Mk 1:24). We believe and knw that yu are the Hly One f Gd (Jn 6:69). In the Bible hliness is the very essence f Gd, the quality that makes Gd what he is, different and set apart frm human beings. It carries a sense f separateness frm sin, f exclusiveness, f uniqueness. And this divine quality applies t bjects r peple wh are set apart, dedicated t the service and wrship f Gd. The peple f Gd are called the hly nes r the saints (5:8; see als the hly city in 11:2; 21:2, and the hly angels in 14:10). 14 The Greek fr the true ne ccurs als in 3:14 ( true witness ), 19:11 ( called True ), and elsewhere. In this cntext it seems t mean the true Messiah. But true here may have the meaning f faithful (see Ps 31:5; Isa 65:16, where Gd f truth means a faithful Gd ), and s here it may mean the faithful (r, trustwrthy) ne in his service t Gd. 15 True stands in ppsitin t liars and synaggue f Satan (Rev 3:9). wh hlds the key f David. Isaiah 22:20-22 In that day I will summn my servant, Eliakim sn f Hilkiah. I will clthe him with yur rbe and fasten yur sash arund him and hand yur authrity ver t him. He will be a father t thse wh live in Jerusalem and t the huse f Judah. I will place n his shulder the key t the huse f David; what he pens n ne can shut, and what he shuts n ne can pen. It is prbable that f David means f David s kingdm, that is, f the Messianic kingdm. 16 Revelatin 3:7 desn t qute Isaiah 22: These wrds are applied t Christ within the cntext f Revelatin. He is the sn f David. Christ has received full and the ultimate authrity ver pening and clsing the drs with regard t the preaching f the Gspel, and the dr f heaven (Rev 4:1). See the ntes n verse He has als received the keys f death and Hades (Rev 1:18). Christ knws all the deeds f the church and f its members. This shuld nt surprise us because the church is the temple f the Hly Spirit (1 Cr 3:16) and the Hly Spirit knws what is in the minds f men. He dispenses his gifts (1 Cr 12: 7, 11). He is the Paraclete (Jn 14:15-17). And finally, all ur deeds have been written in the bks (Rev 20:11-15). See, I have placed befre yu an pen dr that n ne can shut. See is a call t attentin. placed can als be translated as granted. In that case, it is a reward fr the perseverance f the Philadelphians. 14 Bratcher, R. G., & Hattn, H. (1993, p. 71). 15 Bratcher, R. G., & Hattn, H. (1993, p. 72). 16 Bratcher, R. G., & Hattn, H. (1993, p. 72).

8 Christ himself has placed an pen dr. The Philadelphians are encuraged by these wrds. What is the functin f the pen dr? The pprtunity t preach the Gspel: On arriving there, they gathered the church tgether and reprted all that Gd had dne thrugh them and hw he had pened the dr f faith t the Gentiles (Acts 14:27). But I will stay n at Ephesus until Pentecst, because a great dr fr effective wrk has pened t me, and there are many wh ppse me (1 Cr 16:9; als 2 Cr 2:12; Cl 4:13). It is pssible t see this as a reference t Revelatin 4:1, befre me was a dr standing pen in heaven. I knw that yu have little strength, yet yu have kept my wrd and have nt denied my name. Little strength prbably refers t the size f the cngregatin and the scial status f the Christians. Paul wrte t the Crinthians: Brthers, think f what yu were when yu were called. Nt many f yu were wise by human standards; nt many were influential; nt many were f nble birth (1 Cr 1:26). weakness. Therefre I will bast all the mre gladly abut my weaknesses, s that Christ s pwer may rest n me. That is why, fr Christ s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutins, in difficulties. Fr when I am weak, then I am strng (2 Cr 12:9, 10; see als Phil 4:13), by the pwer f Gd. yet yu have kept my wrd and have nt denied my name. (See als Rev 2:13.) But he said t me, My grace is sufficient fr yu, fr my pwer is made perfect in This might imply that sme persecutin had ccurred. This means yu have nt diswned me, yu have nt renunced yur faith in me, yu have nt said that yu d nt believe in me, r yu have nt said, I dn t believe in Jesus (Christ), that is, yu have nt apstatized. Fr the same verb deny see Mt 10:33; Lk 12:9; 2 Pet 2:1; Jude 1:4. 17 Revelatin 14:12, this calls fr patient endurance n the part f the saints wh bey Gd s cmmandments and remain faithful t Jesus. Nt denied my name: Christ is Lrd. He is the ruler f the kings f the earth (Rev 1:5). Pliny wrte t Emperr Trajan the fllwing accunt f a Christian wrship service (AD 110): They affirmed the whle f their guilt, r their errr, was, that they met n a stated day befre it was light, and addressed a frm f prayer t Christ, as t a divinity, binding themselves by a slemn ath, nt fr the purpses f any wicked design, but never t cmmit any fraud, theft, r adultery, never t falsify their wrd, nr deny a trust when they shuld be called upn t deliver it up; after which it was their custm t separate, and then reassemble, t eat in cmmn a harmless meal. (n.d.). Retrieved December 08, 2017, frm public/pliny_letter_t_trajan_abut_ christians.htm 17 Bratcher, R. G., & Hattn, H. (1993, p. 73).

9 thse wh are f the synaggue f Satan, wh claim t be Jews thugh they are nt, but are liars The cnflict between Jesus and the Jews is very prminent in the Gspel f Jhn. In this gspel, the designatin Jews is (primarily) used fr the ppnents f Jesus (Jn 10:33; 11:8; Rm 2:29). Thse wh. In frnt f the gvernment and the general public, they claim t be the true descendants f Gd s chsen peple and having the right f certain privileges granted t them by the Rman Emperr. In the first century, many Christians came frm Jewish rigin. 18 A synaggue f Satan. This desn t mean that they wrship Satan. This designatin might indicate that the Jews made use f lies and slander t discredit the Christians. Yu belng t yur father, the devil, and yu want t carry ut yur father s desire. He was a murderer frm the beginning, nt hlding t the truth, fr there is n truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, fr he is a liar and the father f lies (Jn 8:44). Of particular interest are the different designatins church (Rev 3:7) and synaggue (Rev 3:9). This indicates that the Christian church is clearly distinguished frm the ld Jewish synaggue. The language f slander culd well allude t delatin t the civic authrities, and the references t Satan ( the accuser ) and the devil (a wrd meaning calumniatr, seducer r accuser ), as well as the warning f imprisnment in verse 10, als pint t legal prceedings against Christians, 19 instigated by sme members f the synaggue. Satan is als the pwer behind the pwers f this wrld (Rev 13:1, 2). An example f this slander is fund in Acts 18:12, 13: While Galli was prcnsul f Achaia, the Jews made a united attack n Paul and brught him int curt. This man, they charged, is persuading the peple t wrship Gd in ways cntrary t the law. I will make them cme and fall dwn at yur feet and acknwledge that I have lved yu. I will make them cme. Christ is acting, nt nly in the lives f Christians but als in the lives f these adversaries f the Church. And fall dwn. This gesture can be an indicatin f their desire t jin the Christians 20 and a sign f sincere repentance. Cmpare 1 Crinthians 14:25 (14:22-25): S he will fall dwn and wrship Gd, exclaiming, Gd is really amng yu! And acknwledge. They were mistaken. The Lrd had nt abandned his church but instead has lved them. My cmmand is this: Lve each ther as I have lved yu. Greater lve has n ne than this, that he lay dwn his life fr his friends (Jn 15:12,13; Jn 10:11, 15; Rm 5:6-8; Eph 5:2; 1 Jn 4:7-11). The lve f Christ is knwn thrugh the impact f the crucifixin upn the lives f rdinary men and wmen and their mutual lve.s 18 See, Resseguie, J. L. (2009, p. 89). 19 Bxall, I. (2006, p. 54). 20 Bratcher, R. G., & Hattn, H. (1993, p. 74).

10 Since yu have kept my cmmand t endure patiently, I will als keep yu The Philadelphians already shared in the suffering f Jhn and thers, such as Antipas (Rev 1:9; 2:13). The prmise here is nt that they alne, f all the wrld s ppulatin, will be exempt frm these sufferings; rather the prmise is that Gd will keep them firm during this perid f hardship and calamity (see the similar thught in Jn 17:15). S it may be better t translate I will keep yu safe (prtect yu) in the time f distress that is cming n the wrld. 21 This is nt a reference t the s-called rapture. 22 A very imprtant argument is the use f the wrd vercming, which refers nt t a kind f rapture, but t be victrius till the end. the hur f trial. Endurance and the hur f trial are imprtant themes in the Revelatin: This hur f trial is depicted in Revelatin 12, 13. If anyne is t g int captivity, int captivity he will g. If anyne is t be killed with the swrd, with the swrd he will be killed. This calls fr patient endurance and faithfulness n the part f the saints (Rev 13;10; 14:12). t test thse wh live n the earth. This is prbably nt a reference t Christians, but t thse wh fllw the beast. (See Rev 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8, 14; 17:8.) A majr questin is if this hur f trial is imminent in the future r has happened already at the end f the first century and at the beginning f the secnd century AD. The church f Philadelphia desn t exist anymre. In that case, the prmise I will als keep yu is at risk t appear as a vid prmise. But a prphetic wrd can be iterative, which means that Christ kept this church safe during the hur f trial which tested thse wh lived n the earth AD and that Christ will keep any church safe when there is anther hur f trial. Wiersbe states: the ultimate reference is t the Tribulatin that will encmpass the earth befre Jesus Christ returns t establish His kingdm. In many Bible schlars understanding, Revelatin 3:10 is a prmise that the church will nt g thrugh the Tribulatin. 23 Jesus Christ gave this prmise t the lcal church f Philadelphia in the first and secnd century A.D., but Wiersbe applies these wrds t the universal church in the (nearby) future. This exegesis has nt sufficient grund. Verse I am cming sn. Hld n t what yu have, s that n ne will take yur crwn. The twenty-fur elders (Rev 4:4) had crwns f gld n their heads. Revelatin 2:10 mentins the crwn f life. This is the final cming f Christ (Rev 22:7, 12, 20). They are t maintain firmly their Christian faith and cmmitment, nt t waver in their faithfulness t Christ. S this clause may als be phrased as Yu must cntinue t believe strngly in me r Yu must remain lyal t me Bratcher, R. G., & Hattn, H. (1993, p. 75). 22 Beale, G. K. (1999, p. 290). 23 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, p. 579). 24 Bratcher, R. G., & Hattn, H. (1993, p. 62).

11 The crwn that Christ gives t his fllwers as the prize fr their faithfulness must be kept safe frm all wh wuld, by sme means, take it frm them. What is meant is that they are t remain faithful s as nt t lse their ultimate reward: life with Christ in the Messianic kingdm. Other ways f expressing this clause are s that n persn may take away (steal) yur victry prize by frce r s that n ne may be able t use frce and steal yur prize that shws that yu have cnquered. 25 Cmpare this with parable f the talents (Mt 25:14-30). Him wh vercmes I will make a pillar in the temple f my Gd. Never again will he leave it. Overcmes Overcmes is als used f Christ (Rev 5:5), and f the victrius believers, and I saw what lked like a sea f glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, thse wh had been victrius ver the beast and his image and ver the number f his name (Rev 15:2). Overcming refers t the victry f ne s whle life f faith, 26 and nt t the victry at the end. Nt everyne wh says t me, Lrd, Lrd, will enter the kingdm f heaven, but nly he wh des the will f my Father wh is in heaven. Many will say t me n that day, Lrd, Lrd, did we nt prphesy in yur name, and in yur name drive ut demns and perfrm many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew yu. Away frm me, yu evilders! (Mt 7:21-23). Wh is it that vercmes the wrld? Only he wh believes that Jesus is the Sn f Gd (1 Jn 5:5). The prmise t the Philadelphians is by far the mst elabrated ne and refers t the whle f chapter 21 and 22 f the Revelatin. Pillar in the temple f my Gd. The temple is an imprtant image in the Revelatin (; the temple in heaven: Rev 11:19; 14:15, 17; 15:6-8; 16: 1, 17; the new Jerusalem: Rev 7:15; 21:22). The apstles have been called pillars (Gal 2:9). The lcal cngregatin is designated as: the pillar and fundatin f the truth (1 Tim 3:16). Temple imagery is fund at ther places in the New Testament. The peple f Gd are called: a kingdm and priests (Rev 1:6; 1 Pet 2:9, Ex 19:5, 6). The church f Gd is called a temple (1 Cr 3:16, 17; Eph 2:21). Thse wh will vercme: are befre the thrne f Gd and serve him day and night in his temple; and he wh sits n the thrne will spread his tent (tabernacle) ver them (Rev 7:15; see als Rev 21:22). My Gd. Christ is serving Gd, his Father, cntinuusly. I will make. Christ will build a (spiritual) temple. Cmpare 1 Peter 2:5. Never again will he leave it. He will serve Gd as a priest frever and ever as an inhabitant f the New Jerusalem. I will write n him. There are three names. The name functins as being a representative f, belng t : 25 Bratcher, R. G., & Hattn, H. (1993, p. 76). 26 Beale, G. K. (1999, p. 271).

12 (1) The name f my Gd. The name is nt mentined, prbably due t the Jewish custm nt t prnunce the name and t circumscribe the name f Gd (Rev 1:4). (2) And the name f the city f my Gd. (See als Phil 3:20). the new Jerusalem, which is cming dwn ut f heaven frm my Gd. Is cming dwn is nt a prmise fr the future, but a reality in the present (see, Rev 21:10; als Heb 12:22). The ld Jerusalem was als the city f Gd, where he had established his name (Ps 48:8; Ps 87:5; Isa 2:2). (3) and I will als write n him my new name. He will represent Gd, the new Jerusalem, which is the new sanctuary, and Christ. The High priest represented the twelve tribes f Israel serving Gd in the tabernacle and the temple (Ex 28:21). The names f the twelve tribes were written n the breastplate f the High Priest Cmpare Isaiah 62:2: The natins will see yur righteusness, and all kings yur glry; yu will be called by a new name that the muth f the Lrd will bestw. He wh has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says t the churches. Christ calls fr bedience t the teaching f the Spirit. Blessed is the ne wh reads the wrds f this prphecy, and blessed are thse wh hear it and take t heart what is written in it, because the time is near (Rev 1:3). There is an identity between the risen and glrified Christ and the Spirit: But the Cunselr, the Hly Spirit, whm the Father will send in my name, will teach yu all things and will remind yu f everything I have said t yu (Jn 14:26). Matthew 11:15; 13:9, 43. This is als an indicatin that nt all members f this church will respnd psitively. Applicatin Verse 7 T knw Christ as the hly ne and true. He will judge. He will prtect. He will keep all his prmises. He has the ultimate pwer and authrity given by Gd t pen and t clse the Kingdm f Heaven. Verse 8-10 He knws the deeds. In this letter, Christ desn t mentin sins. The sermn must be balanced. Cmfrt and encurage the small cngregatin, especially when there are peple living in pverty r when the cngregatin faces persecutin r ppsitin. The strength f a cngregatin isn t determined by numbers nr by financial means, but primarily and fremst in KEEPING the wrd f Christ and t prclaim (nt t deny) the NAME. Keeping the wrd means:

13 Acknwledge Christ as the svereign Lrd, wh has been appinted by Gd t save and judge. Acknwledge and accept the lve f Christ, the lve f the crucified ne. This becmes visible in the mutual lve f the members f the cngregatin. Keeping the wrd f Christ means, that each member is gverned by the Spirit f Christ. Christians and the cngregatin f Christ shw the fruit f the Spirit (Gal 5:22, 23). Christ will change the hearts f ppnents. Pray fr thse wh persecute yu (Mt 5:44). Christ will prtect, during perids f testing, lcally and glbally! Verse I am cming sn. Hw can we interpret and understand this prmise? Remember that this is true fr every generatin. In a sense, this is als true fr thse wh already died. Were they prepared t meet their Lrd and Saviur? And Christ taught (and warned) that he will cme like a thief in the night (1 Tess 5:2). A Christian shuld be vigilant and expecting. It is a strng incentive fr Christians: Philippians 4:4-7. Remember that there is a crwn (f victry) awaiting the victrius. The prmises! The victrius will serve Gd frever and belng t Gd, t Christ and are citizens (priests and kings, Revelatin 1:5, 6) f the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is already cming dwn. Christ will persnally write a new name. He knws all ur names and new names. What a cmfrting and encuraging message. This message was nt nly meant fr the church in Philadelphia but fr all the churches. The Spirit says! Listen t his wrd. Bibligraphy Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicn f the New Testament and ther early Christian literature (3rd ed.). Chicag: University f Chicag Press. Barclay, W. (2004). The Revelatin f Jhn (3rd ed. fully rev. and updated, Vl. 1). Luisville, KY; Lndn: Westminster Jhn Knx Press. Beale, G. (1999). The bk f Revelatin: A cmmentary n the Greek text. Grand Rapids: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Bxall, I. (2006). The Revelatin f Saint Jhn. Lndn: Cntinuum. Bratcher, R. G., & Hattn, H. (1993). A handbk n the Revelatin t Jhn. New Yrk: United Bible Scieties.

14 Garrw, A. (1997). Revelatin. Lndn: Rutledge. Freedman, D. N., Herin, G. A., Graf, D. F., Pleins, J. D., & Beck, A. B. (Eds.) (1992). The Anchr Yale Bible Dictinary. (6 Vls.) New Yrk: Dubleday. Hemer, C. (2001). The letters t the seven churches f Asia in their lcal setting. Grand Rapids: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Lange, J. P., Schaff, P., Mre, E., Craven, E. R., & Wds, J. H. (2008). A cmmentary n the Hly Scriptures: Revelatin. Bellingham, WA: Lgs Bible Sftware. Lngman, T., III, & Garland, D. E. (Red.). (2006). The Expsitr s Bible Cmmentary: Hebrews Revelatin (Revised Editin) (Vl. 13). Grand Rapids, MI: Zndervan. Luw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicn f the New Testament: based n semantic dmains (electrnic ed. f the 2nd editin.). New Yrk: United Bible Scieties. Mrris, L. (1987). Revelatin: an intrductin and cmmentary (Vl. 20). Dwners Grve, IL: InterVarsity Press. Osbrne, G. (2002). Revelatin. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic. Resseguie, J. L. (2009). The Revelatin f Jhn: A Narrative Cmmentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. Swete, H. B. (1977). Cmmentary n Revelatin: The Greek Text with Intrductin, Ntes and Indexes. Grand Rapids: Kregel. (Reprint f The Apcalypse f St. Jhn. 3rd ed. Lndn: Macmillan, 1911.) Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible expsitin cmmentary. (2 Vls.) Wheatn: Victr Bks. Wilcck, M. (1986). The message f Revelatin: I saw heaven pened. Leicester, England; Dwners Grve, IL: InterVarsity Press.