Revelation 3:7-8 7And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘This is what the holy one says, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens. 8I know your works. Behold, I have placed before you an open door, which no one is able to shut, because you have little strength and you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
The next church in Asia-Minor was in the city of Philadelphia. This city was located thirty miles east-southeast of Sardis and was founded in the second century B.C. Its name, meaning “brother’s love,” was given to the city by Attalus II, ruler of Pergamum 159–138 B.C., who became leader after his brother, Eumenes II, king of Lydia, died, and so he named this city in his memory. At that point, it was likely just an outpost but grew over the centuries. The city was located on top of a fault, which led to frequent earthquakes and structural damage. One of the main crops grown in the area was grapes, and it was also known for clothing and leather production.
Each of the seven churches had an angel, or “messenger,” to communicate the contents of each letter. Jesus is described in five ways. Holy one is the same description given to God in numerous places in the Bible (Leviticus 11:45; Isaiah 40:25; Habakkuk 3:3; Peter 1:16). There is no one like the triune God. The holiness of Jesus becomes more evident throughout Revelation in the way he is described. He is also the true one, which reflects John 14:6, where he is also the only way to the Father and the source of life. There is no deceit in him, and he is the full revelation of what truth means. God the Father is also called the holy and true one in 6:10. The Father and Son are in such unity that they can be described in the same way.
The next three images go together. Jesus holds the key David as the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ. He is the mighty king. His sovereignty is shown in the next description about his ability to open and close whatever he wants. The key represents his full control. The doors to life and heaven are opened and closed by his will. This description has background in Isaiah 22:22. Jesus opened a door for the Philadelphians that no one could shut. The order of the words is significant because it expresses optimism in the grace of Christ to let people escape from their bondage. The image is one of escape, especially from the persecution by the “synagogue of Satan” (verse 9). Even though this group struggled, they remained true by obeying Jesus’ command and their confession of faith in him.
When pressure comes, we face two great temptations. The first can lead to the second. The first temptation is indifference or spiritual laxity. We passively neglect Jesus’ teaching. If we are not careful, this laziness can lead to disobedience to God’s commands. We dislike the negativity of the word “disobey.” We tend to become lazy and not do as Jesus taught. We are deceived into thinking that our laziness is not “disobedience,” but in essence, we are not obeying either. We try to find a safe middle ground between acceptance in the world and some form of piety towards the Christian faith. Jesus writes to the church in Laodicea next about this dangerous position. A lack of obedience is the same as disobedience. Disobedience or laziness weakens us. If we are not careful, we may come to the point of denying Jesus’ name. We lose our identity as Jesus’ followers. This letter is a warning about this slippery slope.