Maranatha!

Written by Joel Davis  

We are continuing our series in the Seven Letters to the Seven Churches in the Revelation of John, and this week we have what feels like a special treat — a church that isn’t in the doghouse! I don’t know how many Dallas Cowboys fans are listening, but they’ll perhaps be disappointed to know that Philadelphia of all places receives a very strong commendation and promise from Jesus, so let’s jump in and see what we can learn from this church who is patiently and persistently enduring.  

7 “Write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia: Thus says the Holy One, the true one, the one who has the key of David, who opens and no one will close, and who closes and no one opens:  

Once again, Jesus uses a name for Himself that we may have never heard of. What on earth is the key of David and why is it significant? This term is also seen in Isaiah 22:22, where Yahweh, speaking about the Messiah, says:  

And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. —Isaiah 22:22. 

Our Father says that His Messiah will have the authority to open and close the door. What door? The one for entrance into the Kingdom of God, and no one else will be able to override His decision. We know that Philadelphia is being persecuted like so many other churches at that time, but Jesus begins with a comforting word that no matter what is done to His followers in that city, no one will be able to overrule His decision to open a door for them into His heavenly kingdom. 

This reminds me of a common discussion amongst certain Christians about how sure we are that we are saved. And as I’m reading this passage in the Overflow, I have a peace knowing that no matter what I do or what is done to me, my Savior holds the keys to the Kingdom, has opened the door wide for me, and there is no one who can shut that door. So many times, we look at verses in Paul and the Gospels for answers on our assurance, but it was exciting to me today to find it in Revelation as well.  

8 I know your works. Look, I have placed before you an open door that no one can close because you have but little power; yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.  

We talk about open doors of opportunity a lot in the Christian faith. You might hear about open doors for missions work or open doors for sharing your testimony with friends or witness to what Jesus has done in your life. But in this case, the open door is the open door of our Savior welcoming us into His Kingdom. I cannot stress how comforting this is, what a confidence builder this is for me, knowing that no matter what happens to me, Jesus is the one who holds my salvation and He is the True One (verse 7), who can be trusted in everything.  

9 Note this: I will make those from the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews and are not, but are lying—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my command to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is going to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 

Just like in Smyrna, Jesus refers to the Jews opposing the church as the synagogue of Satan! We have seen this week after week, have we not? Jesus is NOT about pulling punches on these letters. But let’s take a second to really identify with the church at Philadelphia.  Although the Christians in Philadelphia have been adopted into the family by their heavenly Father because of their allegiance to His Son, they have also experienced some devastation. At the same time as they received a new family, they were excluded from their old ones. Cast out of the synagogue, and hence from their heritage, their families, and their surrounding community.  

Maybe some of you didn’t grow up in a Christian home and your belief in Jesus also triggered a very real alienation from friends and family members. You may be listening to this and a mother or father or even a child has cut you out of their lives because of your new face in Jesus. This is terrible! We cannot ignore that although there are promises of love, freedom, rest, and power awaiting us in the Kingdom of our Father, there are costs associated as well. Jesus acknowledges this in Luke 14:28-30: 

“For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ —Lk 14:28-30 

 Faithfulness often means being excluded from circles that meant a great deal to us—sometimes even from family! That can be extremely painful, but just as extreme is the promise that Jesus has for these believers in the final verses of this letter.  

11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one takes your crown. 12 “The one who conquers I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never go out again. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God—the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God—and my new name. 13 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.  

One of the most powerful themes in all of Scripture for me is the return of our King, Jesus, and the fulfillment of His promise to make all things new again. The early church had a word for this that turns up in 1 Corinthians 16:22. It’s “maranatha,” and it simply means, “Our Lord, come!” Others say, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!” All my favorite Christian songs have this theme of “come back soon, Lord Jesus.” There is something so powerful to me about knowing that none of this evil and none of this brokenness gets the final word. In JRR Tolkien’s Return of the King, the last book of the Lord of the Rings, Samwise Gamgee promises, “Everything sad is going to come untrue.”  

I can’t wait for all the sadness to be made untrue. I cry almost every time I read the closing chapters of this book and Jesus is given the name “Faithful and True.” He is faithful on His promises, like this one made to the church in Philadelphia, that He is coming soon, and that because of their faith to Him, His very NAME is stamped on their hearts. You, my brothers and my sisters in Christ, are being made into pillars in the house of our Father, and this happens, in part, through the way we endure trials. 

I pray this is deep, deep, deep encouragement to your souls, especially those of us who are going through really painful rifts with family and loved ones. Jesus sees you. Our Father has not abandoned His children. And the Holy Spirit is there to fill you with peace as we all together await the return of our King.