Revelation 3:9 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.
The problem people for the Philadelphians came from the “synagogue of Satan.” It is difficult to know what this means. It could refer to an actual Jewish synagogue that was causing the church problems. There were other situations in the early church where Jews and the new believers in Jesus did not get along. The Jews saw the Christians as an heretical sect. Another possibility is that these were Jewish Christians who preached legalism. Paul the Apostle had to deal a lot with these type of people (notably Galatians). We could also understand this description as more figurative as a gathering of deceivers, a group of people who internally or unintentionally were following the wrong teachings. This group thought they were Jews but had missed the central message of the Bible. They may have been Jews by blood or ritual but not by faith. True Jews are those who have accepted their messiah.
These misguided and troublesome people would one day bow before the Philadelphian believers and acknowledge the truth of the gospel. They will be forced one day to realize their wrong understanding. This has the intended effect of giving confidence to the church and helping them realize that what they see and experience now is not the end of the story. They like many today are tempted to give up or compromise when persecution or accusation come. Jesus implies here that we should not give up. We will win in the end!
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