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.” [1]
|
4. The Two Great Hopes (Re. 3:9–10).[2] |
|
|
G. The
Message to Philadelphia: The Church That Is Faithful &
Alive, Revelation 3:7–13 |
|
|
1. The
recipients a. The messenger of
the church b. The
Philadelphian churchDS1 2. The
speaker: Jesus |
7 And
to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that
is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and
no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; |
|
3. The
commendation a. They had made
great use of the open door of evangelism & missions b. They had kept
Christ’s Word c. They had not
denied the Lord’s name |
8 I
know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can
shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not
denied my name. |
|
4. The Two
Great Hopes a. There
Will Be Great Vindication: The persecutors of the believers will either
be saved or judged |
9 Behold,
I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they
are Jews, and are not,
but do lie; behold, I will make them
to come and worship before thy feet,
and to know that I have loved thee. |
|
b. There
Will Be Great Deliverance: From the hour of trial, a period of great
tribulation coming upon the earth |
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep
thee from the hour of temptation,
which shall come upon all the world, to try them that
dwell upon the earth.
|
|
5. The
counsel: Christ is coming soon; therefore, hold fast |
11 Behold,
I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. |
|
6. The
promise: To the overcomers a. Will be made a
permanent part of God’s house b. Will receive
security c. Will receive
God’s name, belonging to Him d. Will receive the
name, be made citizens of, God’s city e. Will receive the
Lord’s new name, known only to God |
12 Him
that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go
no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of
the city of my God, which is new
Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. |
|
|
13 He
that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.[3] |
7. The Counterfeits (Revelation 3:9)
Counterfeit Jews were a problem
in Smyrna also. Both Smyrna and Philadelphia are the two churches of the seven
which had no condemnation from Christ. The counterfeiters feigned faith but
were phonies. Here it is portrayed as feigning belonging to the Jewish race
which race was especially known as God’s people. Two things about these phony
believers.
• Their character. “Of the
synagogue of Satan … say they are Jews,
and are not, but
do lie” (Revelation 3:9). Two
things are pointed out about these phony believers. First, their mouths. “Lie.” They claim to be God’s people but they
are not. They are pretenders, fakers, frauds, and impostors. They are not truly
saved. They simply lie. Second,
their membership. They may claim membership in the finest of fundamental
churches, but the Lord says they are really of the “synagogue of Satan.”
• Their condemnation. “I will make
them to come and worship before thy feet, and
to know that I have loved thee” (Revelation
3:9). Some of their condemnation will be seen in their worship of
Christ. First, the practice
of worship. “I
will make them to come and worship.” Paul said, “Every knee should bow … every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord”
(Philippians 2:10, 11). Some will bow and
confess to their salvation. Others to their damnation. It depends on when you
bow—before or after death. These pretenders will ultimately have to acknowledge
Christ as Lord, but to their condemnation. Second,
the place of worship. “Worship before thy feet.” They are not
worshiping the faithful but will do it before the faithful which acknowledges
that the faithful were right. Condemnation shames. Third, the praise in worship. “To know that I have loved thee.”
Those who were despised in this world will be acknowledged and praised by the
fakers as being right. The ungodly, to their shameful condemnation, will one
day recognize that believers were the ones who were right. The day is coming
when the Lord will show what is right and who is right.
8. The Compensation (Revelation 3:10)
“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Revelation 3:10). Those who have been chosen to be on the Lord’s side and have been faithful to the Lord will be exempt from the Divine judgment which the world will experience. Some believe “the hour of temptation” refers to the great tribulation period because of its wide application. But regardless of the period of time it refers to, it means judgment for unbelievers which God’s people will not experience.[4]
4 (Re.3:9–10) Church—Hope: There Is The Great Hope Given To The Church That Is
Alive And Faithful. Note how descriptive this verse is:
“Behold,
I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and
are not, but do lie; behold, I will make
them to come and worship before thy feet, and
to know that I have loved thee” (Re. 3:9).
The synagogue of Satan refers to the Jews who say
that they follow the true God, but they do not: they reject Jesus Christ. And
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the very One who came into the world to reveal
God. Therefore, to reject Jesus Christ is to reject the revelation of God, to
reject God Himself. Remember who a true Jew is in the eyes of God:
⇒ a
true Jew is any person who believes in Jesus Christ.
“And he received the sign of
circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being
uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe,
though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them
also” (Ro. 4:11).
⇒ a
true Jew is not a person who claims outward racial descent. A true Jew is a
person who is a Jew inwardly, who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ.
“For he is not a Jew, which is one
outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he
is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the
spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God” (Ro. 2:28–29).
⇒ a
true Jew is a person who walks in the steps of the faith of Abraham, who walks
in a faith that is placed in the Lord Jesus Christ.
“And [Abraham is] the father of
circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in
the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet
uncircumcised” (Ro. 4:12).
⇒ a
true Jew is not a person of an earthly race, but a true Jew is a person who has
the same faith that Abraham had.
“Not as though the word of God hath
taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: neither,
because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac
shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh,
these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are
counted for the seed. For this is the word of promise, At this time will I
come, and Sara shall have a son” (Ro. 9:6–9).
⇒ the
true Israel is the church.
“And as many as walk according to this
rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God [the church,
believers]” (Ga. 6:16).
The
point is striking: to God a Jew is not some earthly race. A Jew is a person
who truly believes God, believes all the promises of God including the promise
of the Messiah. A true Jew is a person who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember:
God Himself gave birth to the Jewish race. He raised up the Jews to be His
followers and witnesses to the human race. Therefore, to God the true Jew is a
person from any earthly nation who follows and bears witness to Him.
The
point is this: there were Jews in Philadelphia who were persecuting the
believers. They were claiming to be Jews, the chosen people, the followers of
God, but they were not. They rejected the Son of God, the very One who came to
reveal God. Therefore, they were lying. They were an assembly of Satan, not of
the only living and true God.
Now, with this as background, note the great hope given to the church that is alive and faithful. The hope is twofold.
1. Believers Shall Be Vindicated Before All Their Persecutors. The persecutors of the church shall either be saved or
judged. Note that the Jews are going to come and worship at the feet of
the church.
a. Believers shall be vindicated because some of their persecutors will be saved (Re. 3:9). Note the verse: the Jews are going to come and worship with believers. This points toward the salvation of Israel in the end time. Note this closely, for it is the picture painted by Scripture.
⇒ In
the Old Testament Israel is seen as the true follower of God and the other peoples
of the world are seen coming to Israel and worshipping the God of Israel.
“Thus saith the Lord, The labor of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of
the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be
thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they
shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying,
Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God” (Is. 45:14).
“And kings shall be thy nursing
fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with
their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt
know that I am the Lord: for they
shall not be ashamed that wait for me” (Is. 49:23).
“The sons also of them that afflicted
thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow
themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of
the Lord, The zion of the Holy One
of Israel” (Is. 60:14).
“And I will sanctify my great name,
which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of
them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord,
saith the Lord god, when I shall be sanctified in you
before their eyes” (Eze. 36:23).
“And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my
sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore” (Eze.
37:28).
⇒ In
the New Testament the picture is reversed, and the Jews are seen coming to the
church and worshipping with the church. This means that the Jews worship the
Lord Jesus Christ. (See—Ro. 9:1–11:36, esp. Ro. 11:25–36 for the verses dealing with this
subject.)
“I will call them [the Gentiles] my
people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. And
it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are
not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God” (Ro. 9:25–26).
Thought 1. The
scene will be glorious: Israel (the Jews) worshipping the Messiah, the Lord
Jesus Christ, right along with Gentile believers. This is the promise of the
Lord to the church of Philadelphia.
Note
this: the promise applies to all churches that are alive and
faithful. Some of the persecutors will believe and accept the Lord Jesus Christ
as their Savior. They will be won to Christ and worship right along with the
believers whom they originally persecuted. This is a great promise made to the
church that is faithful and alive. The task of the church is to continue to be
faithful to Christ, bearing testimony and witness to Him.
“All the ends of the world shall
remember and turn unto the Lord:
and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom
is the Lord’s: and he is the
governor among the nations” (Ps. 22:27–28).
b. Believers
shall also be vindicated before all the persecutors who reject Jesus Christ.
Scripture clearly states that every knee shall bow before the feet of the Lord
and confess Him to be Lord.
“For it is written, As I live, saith
the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Ro. 14:11).
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted
him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things
under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father” (Ph. 2:9–11).
“Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and
glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and
worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest” (Re. 15:4).
“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear” (Is. 45:22–23).
2. Believers Shall Experience A Great
Deliverance. They shall be delivered from the hour of trial that is
coming upon the earth. This refers to the great tribulation that is coming upon
the earth in the end time, a period of trial that will far exceed any trial the
world has ever known. Christ Himself said:
“For then shall be great tribulation,
such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever
shall be” (Mt. 24:21).
The great tribulation will
involve two terrible forces falling upon the earth:
⇒ There
will be the persecution by the antichrist.
“And it was given unto him [the
antichrist] to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was
given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon
the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of
the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Re.
13:7–8).
⇒ There
will be the awful judgment of God against all unbelievers who reject His Son
Jesus Christ.
“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam,
prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his
saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly
among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of
all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him” (Jude 14–15).
“And after these things I heard a great
voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and
honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: for true and righteous are his
judgments for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with
her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And
again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever” (Re. 19:1–3).
Note that
no believer need ever fear any trial, not even the trial of martyrdom. Jesus
Christ says that He will deliver the believer from all trials.
⇒ Even
when hated and martyred, the believer will be delivered. Physical death will
have no effect upon the believer. The believer will be delivered into the very
presence of God quicker than the eye can blink. The believer will never taste
the torment of death. Christ was very specific about this:
“And ye shall be betrayed both by
parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they
cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.
But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye
your souls” (Lu. 21:16–19).
Note also that God promises to protect those
believers who have to go through the tribulation. They will not suffer the
judgments that God casts upon the earth. They will be protected somewhat like
Israel was during the plagues that fell upon Egypt. The judgments of God will
fall only upon the unbelievers. This is clearly stated:
“And it was commanded them that they
should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any
tree; but only those men which
have not the seal of God in their foreheads” (Re.
9:4).
The
point is striking: the hope of the believer is glorious. Jesus Christ will
always deliver the believer and the church that is alive and faithful.
“Behold, I give unto you power to tread
on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing
shall by any means hurt you” (Lu. 10:19).
“And the God of peace shall bruise
Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you”
(Ro. 16:20).
“There hath no temptation taken you but
such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to
escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Co.
10:13).
“For the which cause I also suffer
these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed,
and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him
against that day” (2 Ti. 1:12).
“Henceforth there is laid up for me a
crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at
that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Ti. 4:8).
“For in that he himself hath suffered
being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted” (He. 2:18).
“Who are kept by the power of God
through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pe. 1:5).
“Now unto him that is able to keep you
from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory
with exceeding joy” (Jude 24).
“Because
thou hast kept the word of my patience, I
also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to
try them that dwell upon the earth” (Re.
3:10).[5]
“Look!
I will force those who belong to Satan—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.” Re. 3:9 NLT
Apparently,
there was significant conflict between the Christians and the Jews in
Philadelphia. As in the letter to the church in Smyrna (Re. 2:9), Christ referred to those who called themselves Jews
but who were really liars and those who belong
to Satan (literally, “of the synagogue
of Satan”). These people, descended from Abraham and Jews by birth,
vehemently opposed and persecuted the Christians for their belief that Jesus
was the Messiah. Because of their opposition, Christ considered them as
belonging to Satan. True Jews (God’s people) have accepted Jesus as Messiah and
Savior (see Romans 2:28–29; Galatians 3:29; 6:16). These Jews who had rejected
the Messiah truly belonged to Satan, not to God. They had shut the Christians
out of their synagogues, but Christ says that he will force these people to come and bow
down at the feet of his faithful people. Then they will acknowledge that the
Christians are indeed the ones whom Christ loves. At Christ’s return, true
believers will be vindicated.
“Since you
have kept my command to endure patiently, I
will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole
world to test those who live on the earth.” Re. 3:10 NIV
The
believers had endured patiently, as Christ had commanded, so Christ promised to
keep them from
the hour of trial that would come upon the
whole world to test those who live on the earth. Some believe that
the phrase “I will also keep you from the hour of
trial” means there will be a future time of great tribulation from which
true believers will be spared. This is a key verse for those who subscribe to
the pre-Tribulation-Rapture theory—that believers will be kept from the hour of
trial because they will not be on the earth during that time of great
tribulation. Christians will have been taken to heaven in what is called the
“Rapture” (based on 1 Corinthians 15:51–53; 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17). Others believe that the
verse refers to times of great distress in general, the church’s suffering
through the ages. Others interpret “keep from”
to mean that the church will go through the time of tribulation and that God
will keep them strong during it, providing spiritual protection from the forces
of evil (Re. 7:3). The verb “keep from” is the same Greek verb in the Lord’s
prayer (“Deliver us from the evil one,” Matthew
6:13 nlt). As Jesus said
before his death, “I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to
keep them safe from the evil one” (John 17:15
nlt).
This “hour of trial” is also described as the Great Tribulation or Day of the Lord, mentioned also in Daniel 12:2; Mark 13:19; and 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12. All the judgments recorded in the remainder of the book of Revelation take place during this time of tribulation. While believers may have to face difficulty and suffering, they will certainly be protected from God’s wrath and judgment.
NOT A HAIR WILL PERISH
|
|
Jesus
promised protection for the obedient church at Philadelphia (Re. 3:10). We cannot interpret from this verse
when or for how long Christians will experience the “hour
of trial.” Today, millions of Christians are suffering and dying at
the hands of godless tyrants throughout the world. To them, the “hour of trial” has already begun. But whenever
Christians suffer, Christ promises protection of their eternal souls. Jesus
said, “Everyone will hate you because of your allegiance to me. But not a
hair of your head will perish! By standing firm, you will win your souls” (Luke 21:17–19 nlt).
[6] |
Revelation 3:9-10 “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.”
Fall Mountain Scenery 4K HD - Bing images
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. 2015. Holy
Bible: New Living Translation.
Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
DS Deeper Study
[3] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible.
Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
[4] Butler, John G. 2010. Analytical
Bible Expositor: Revelation.
Clinton, IA: LBC Publications.
[5] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible.
Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
NLT
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All
rights reserved.
NIV
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission
of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
nlt Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright
© 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois
60189. All rights reserved.
nlt Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation,
copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,
Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
nlt Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation,
copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,
Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
[6] Barton, Bruce B. 2000. Revelation. Edited by Grant R. Osborne. Life Application Bible
Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
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