Letter to Philadelphia
NIV Revelation 3:7 "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.
 Allusion to famous gatekeeper of King
Hezekiah, Eliakim.
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Key of David?
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NIV Isaiah 22:21 22 I will place on
[Eliakim’s] shoulder the key to the house
of David; what he opens no one can shut,
and what he shuts no one can open. 23 I
will drive him like a peg into a firm place;
he will be a seat of honor for the house of
his father.
Key of David
The authority to admit or refuse one into
the royal palace is with these humble
Christians.
 Christ is telling them that He is welcoming
them to His royal courts, in spite of their
poor town.
 In Isaiah, the reference was first used for
Eliakim who was the faithful administrator
for King Hezekiah.
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Letter to Philadelphia
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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.
Letter to Philadelphia
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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.
Letter to Philadelphia
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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
upon the whole world to test those who
live on the earth.
Letter to Philadelphia
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11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what
you have, so that no one will take your
crown. 12 Him who overcomes I will make
a pillar in the temple of my God. Never
again will he leave it. I will write on him
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 him my new
name.
Letter to Philadelphia
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13 He who has an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit says to the churches.
Letter to Philadelphia
Crown – The Philadelphians will reign with
Christ.
 Pillar – They will have a permanent place
in Christ’s royal courts.
 New name – The FULL meaning and
implication of Jesus’ name will be made
known when He comes for us.
 We are HIS!
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Letter to Philadelphia
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Philedelphia was established in 189 BC by
King Eumenes II of Pergamon (197-160
BC). Eumenes II named the city for the
love of his brother, who would be his
successor, Attalus II (159-138 BC), whose
loyalty earned him the nickname,
"Philadelphos", literally meaning "one who
loves his brother".
Letter to Philadelphia
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Philadelphia was in the administrative district of
Sardis (Pliny NH 5.111). It was a great industrial
city until, AD 17, when the city was destroyed in
an earthquake. Things were so bad, the
emperor Tiberius relieved it of having to pay
taxes since they had to raise much of their own
money to rebuild. In response, the city granted
special honors to Tiberius. A small theater
located at the northern edge is all that remains
of Roman Philadelphia.
Letter to Philadelphia
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No one envied the situation of
Philadelphia. The city was stilling trying to
recover from a devastating earthquake
some eighty years earlier. At the time, the
town was in such bad shape, it was almost
entirely abandoned.
Letter to Philadelphia
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But Philadelphia had a strong wine
industry. Situated in a steep valley, the
vine along the slopes kept the city alive.
Letter to Philadelphia
The city and population remained poor.
 Because of their faithfulness to the Word,
they would see some of their persecutors
from the synagogue converted.
 Eventually the city recovered…
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Philadelphia
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Philadelphia was a prosperous Byzantine city, called the "little
Athens" in the 6th c AD because of its festivals and temples (Lydus
de mensibus 4.58). Presumably this indicates that the city wasn't
entirely converted to Christianity. Ammia, the Montanist prophetess,
was from Philadelphia, however.[3] In about the year 600 the
domed Basilica of St. John was built, remains of which are the main
archaeological attraction in the modern city. The Byzantine walls
that once surrounded the city have all but crumbled away. A few
remnants are still visible at the northeast edge of town, near the
bus stand. The city was taken by the Ottoman Turks in 1071 and
1093-94, but was recovered by the Byzantines in 1098. In the 11th
to 15th centuries AD, it was the seat of the doux (governor) and
stratopedarches (military commander) of the theme Thrakesion.
Philadelphia
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Philadelphia was an independent, neutral city
under the influence of the Latin Knights of
Rhodes, when taken in 1390 by Sultan Bayezid I
and an auxiliary Christian force under the
Byzantine emperor Manuel II after a prolonged
resistance, when all the other cities of Asia
Minor had surrendered. Twelve years later it was
captured by Timur, who built a wall with the
corpses of his prisoners. A fragment of the
ghastly structure is in the library of Lincoln
Cathedral.
Letter to Philadelphia
In a city where rebuilding was the norm,
they would be an unshakable pillar in the
Lord’s temple in a city that could not be
shaken.
 In an old city called Philadelphia, known
for collapse, there stood Christians would
who would bear new and everlasting
names in the world that cannot be shaken.
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Letter to Philadelphia
Law. When you are depressed that you
may not be much in the eyes of the world
and the religious establishment…
 Gospel. Know that Christ rejoices in
those who cherish His Word of grace and
truth and stand firm in it. They are
celebrated in His temple and the world to
come.
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