END OF TIME PROPHECIES 059

PHILADELPHIA      The Friendly, Feeble, Faithful church.    Revelation 3v7-13. 

"And to the angel of the church at 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."        

The study is under five headings:

1. The character of Christ.
2. The commendation.
3. The comforts.
4. The challenge.
5. The compensation.

1.   The character of Christ.     The lesson for all churches from these seven letters is that no matter the prevailing circumstances, Christ is the answer to all their needs.   It is wonderful to consider the rich and varied aspects of the character of the Christ who walks in our midst.   Writing to Philadelphia, He departs from the normal approach, which was to lift a phrase from the vision of chapter 1; here he introduces titles that are distinctly Jewish in character.   This is perhaps because their spiritual opponents in the city were Jews, whom Christ described as "the synagogue of Satan."   He arms them with the Jewish mentality, who claimed for themselves the sole right of divine communication on earth.   He uses the images of Isaiah, particularly chapters 6,22 & 40.    He introduces four elements to his character;

• He that is holy.     Thus proclaiming His majesty.   The word is "hagios" and means "set apart."   This is possibly misunderstood by many.   Holiness involves much more than moral excellence, it means excellence in every sphere imaginable: so that whatever attribute we may think of, He is set apart.   He is a "cut above;"  He is "different class;" the expositor Donald Carson renders this as "other", meaning unique, higher, better, superior.   A study of Isaiah chapter 6 illustrates the point; a throne high and lifted up; the divine majesty filling all of heaven; the divine glory encompassing the whole earth .   Because there is no response from earth the inanimate things of earth begin to shake, as happened at Calvary.   Before Him the seraphims; those dazzling burning ones, whose very appearance was awesome, in the presence of this Majesty, they covered their faces and their feet.   Before Him they cry night and day  "Holy, holy, holy."   At this sight Isaiah (probably one of the greatest prophets who spent his life exposing the deficiencies of the people) was reduced to saying "woe is me."   Such is the uniqueness of undiminished holiness.   What was said of Jehovah in the Old, Christ now takes to Himself in the New.   Since seraphs hold Him in utmost reverence, how much more we upon the earth?  
• He that is true.     This is now His reliability.   The word used is "true as opposed to false;" it is also used to denote "spiritual as opposed to material," and "fulfillment as opposed to foreshadowing.   The world lives in the misapprehension that the material world is the real world.   God's word says the opposite.   Christ is the true, the One against whom all men are liars, and before whom all things are unreal.   Thus the New Testament speaks of the true God, the true riches, the true light, the true bread, the true vine, and the true tabernacle.   He is the true because He is the truth; He is the real because all else is unreal.    He is the One who can be trusted for all things in life and beyond.   This aspect of His glory is repeated time and again in this book.  
• He has the key of David.     This is His sovereignty.   Every Jew would understand the full implications of this.   To David , God promised an eternal kingdom (2nd Samuel 7v12-16).    The key holder was steward over the house of God with absolute control (Isaiah 22v15-22).   The One who "has the key of David" is in total control over the kingdom of God and all things pertaining to it.   Matthew quoting from Micah 5v2 says in chapter 2v6 of his gospel  "out of thee shall come a governor that shall rule My people Israel."   Prophet Isaiah predicts in chapter 9v6 that "the government shall be upon His shoulder."   In verse 7  "of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end."   Christ holds the keys of heaven (Matthew 16); He holds the keys of hell (Revelation 1); He holds absolute sway in all things spiritual and those of us who bow to Him can rejoice.  
• He controls the treasury of divine things.     "He shutteth and no man openeth and openeth and no man shutteth."   He not only has the key but He exercises it.    This is true in salvation "no one cometh to the Father but by Me."   It is true in judgment " all judgment has been committed to the Son."    It is true in service, from the throne He "gives gifts unto men" (Ephesians 4; 1st Corinthians 12).   He is the Lord of the harvest, He opens and shuts doors on the mission field (Acts 16v6-7 with 1st Corinthians 16v9).   He opens doors in connection with scripture revelation and understanding; Colossians chapter 2v3 says  "in Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."   To get them He wants us to search for them.   Surely all of this fills our hearts with security and confidence in the One who walks amongst us.